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Fig. 2. Curves showing Annual temperatures in the years 1867-1877 inclusive. 
As in fig. 1, the darker line is the smoothed curve. 
Whatever may be the result of the actinometrical observa- 
tions which, it is to he hoped, may one day be made in one of 
the almost cloudless districts of the world, it certainly appears 
that there is no concord whatever between the relative 
number of Sunspots and the heat radiated on the British 1 
Isles. The hottest year of the whole series was 1868, its six j 
central months being quite exceptionally warm, but if we 
attempt to connect that fact in any way with Sunspots, we find l 
that it was the first year after a year of minimum Sunspots ; ! 
but on passing on eleven years, and taking the first year follow- i 
ing the next Sunspot minimum, we find that it was in no way 
remarkable for excessive heat. Following on to the next year, | 
that is to say, the second after the year of Sunspot minimum, J 
we find 1869 with a temperature very near the mean ; but on 
again passing on eleven years, we come to 1879, which was 
considerably the coldest year that has been experienced for a j 
very long time. 
Taking up the question of the heat of the summer months 
of the different years, we are unable to derive any great com- j 
fort or hope from an examination of their mean temperatures. J 
It would have been fair to expect that in a curve of the mean , 
summer temperatures, some sort of evidence of the existence of 
a cycle might be traced, even though in a curve of the tempera- 
tures of the whole year its existence might be hidden by the j 
