129 
The minimum number of clays occurred in 1832, the 
cholera year, and 1834; the number of days being 86 and 
and 82 respectively. The maximum number occurred in 
1848, the number being 223 days. 
The mean monthly values are as follow : — 
• Mean number of clays Mean number of days 
Month. on which rain fell. Month. on which rain fell. 
January . , 
13-4 
July 
.... 13-0 
February 
12-4 
August 
. .. . 12-9 
March. . . 
11-9 
September . . 
.... 12-7 
April . . . 
12-7 
October 
14-4 
May . . . 
12-7 
November. . . , 
. .. . 13-6 
June . . . 
12-0 
December . . . . 
... . 13-6 
Year 1553 
Taking the quarterly values, we find that rain falls on the 
greatest number of days in autumn, and the least in spring. 
Taking the means of five yearly periods, there appears 
to be a kind of periodicity in the number of days on which 
rain falls, having a maximum in 1813 to 1817, and a 
minimum in 1843 to 1847. 
A Paper was read “ On the Rainfall at Oldham during the 
years’ 1836-62*,” by John Heap, Esq., with Remarks by 
G. V. Vernon, F.R.A.S., M.B.M.S. 
From 1836 to 1852 a twelve-inch circular gauge was used, 
24 feet from the ground. From 1853 to 1857 the height was 
only 1 1 feet above the ground. In 1861 and 1862 the fall was 
determined by weight, whereas in previous years a float was 
used. 
The mean fall for the first seventeen years, 24 feet above 
the ground, was 32*468 inches. The mean fall for 1853-57 
was 30-802 inches, 11 feet above the ground. The mean fall 
for 1858 to 1862 was 38'069 inches. The period 1853 to 
1862 combined gives 34-432 inches for the fall 11 feet above 
the ground. Owing to the elevation of the gauge during the 
first seventeen years, the rainfall at Oldham appears to have 
