i88i.] 
Analyses of Books . 
301 
History. In one of these the author fixes the departure of the 
Israelites from Egypt at B.C. 1322, and identifies the king, who 
in pursuing them lost his army in the Red Sea, with Ocaras. 
The Weather of 1880 as observed in the N eighb our hood of London 
By E. Mawley, F.M.S. London : Bemrose and Sons. 
We have here a most useful summary of meteorological ob" 
servations for the past year. The author is not merely a student 
of the weather, but a zealous horticulturist, being Honorary 
Secretary of the National Rose Society, and he consequently re- 
gards the peculiar character of the season under what is its most 
important aspect, viz., its influence upon organic existence. The 
year itself, though an improvement upon its dismal predecessor, 
can scarcely be pronounced satisfactory. It began with severe 
and unseasonable cold, which proved injurious to many trees and 
shrubs. The two decisive summer months, June and July, were 
cold, wet, and windy ; and although August fortunately displayed 
a low rainfall, it was dull and cloudy. The amount of atmo 
spheric moisture was remarkable, especially as being unaccom- 
panied with a corresponding downfall. Snow and exceptional 
cold came on in October, a temperature of 29*3° F. being realised 
on the 24th. Whilst the mean temperature of the air was o-i° 
above the average of the last thirty-nine years, that of the soil 
3 feet below the surface was 0*4° below that of the last thirty- 
three years. The nights in which the minimum temperature on 
grass fell below freezing-point reached the serious figure of 136. 
Rain fell on 166 days to a depth of 3*20 inches in excess of the 
last twenty years ; 81 days were entirely sunless, and the average 
duration of sunshine was only 3 hours 37 minutes daily. 
We hope that Mr. Mawley will find his valuable labours duly 
appreciated, and no less do we trust that he will have a more 
cheerful account to render of the season now in progress, though 
it has made but a poor beginning. 
A Treatise on Fuel. By Robert Galloway, M.R.I.A., F.C.S., 
&c. London : Triibner and Co. 
The need of a work on Fuel has long been felt by manufacturers 9 
and in order to meet this want Mr. Galloway has put into book- 
form the subject-matter of a course of lectures delivered by him, 
