124 
Though, as I have said, about the average amouut for the 
year fell, there was a great deficiency throughout the spring 
and summer months as far as to the end of July. The 
thunderstorms which occurred in August seem not only to 
have been the precursor of the excesses of rainfall which 
followed, but also of a very rapid decline of temperature 
which continued with slight variations till it culminated in 
the very low temperature at the end of the year. The 
drought of April and May was accompanied by severe frosts 
that completely destroyed the fruit crops of this district at 
least. The number of days on which rain fell during the 
past 37-ear is greater than the average. But this excess is 
less in proportion to the amount of rainfall in the wet 
portion of the year than the deficiency in the dry portion, 
pointing again to the law which I showed to exist in the 
amount and frequency of rainfall, in a paper I read on the 
subject before the Section in the last session. The following 
table sliows the results obtained from a rain-gauge with a 
loin, round receiver placed 8ft. above the ground : — 
Quarterly Periods 
1S74. 
Fall 
in 
Inches. 
Average 
of 
14 Years. 
Difference. 
Quarterly Periods. ' 
Average 
of 
14 years. 
1874. 
Average 
of 
14 Years. 
1874. ! 
Days. 
Days. 
r 
January 
3*261 
2*813 
-f 0*448 ■) 
52 
56] 
February 
1*464 
2*194 
—0*730 [ 
7*498 
7*716 
March 
2*991 
2*491 
+0*500 ) 
i 
c 
April 
0*919 
1*995 
—1*076) 
46 
44^ 
May 
1*956 
2*076 
—0*120 [ 
6*686 
3*764 
1 
June 
0*889 
2*615 
—1*726 ) 
July 
2*136 
3*051 
—0*915 ) 
53 
60 ] 
August ......... 
5*767 
3*280 
+2*487 [ 
10*371 
11*380 : 
( 
September . . . 
3*477 
4*040 
—0*563 ) 
r 
October 
4*091 
4*258 
—0*167) 
57 
61 ] 
November ... 
5*111 
3*270 
+1*841 [ 
10*529 
12*371 1 
December 
3*169 
3*001 
+0*168 ) 
208 
221 
35*231 
35*084 
+0*147 
In the next table are given the results obtained from 
rain-gauges of two different kinds^ placed in close proximity 
