COUNCIL FOR 1861 . 
17 
as, from the peculiar characters of this group, an intimate 
practical acquaintance with the species is absolutely necessary 
for that purpose. 
Mr. Ford, one of the Curators of Meteorological Instru¬ 
ments, reports — 
From the annexed Table (see p. 18,) it will be seen that the 
mean height of the Mercurial Column for the year was 29 825 
inches, being an exact mean of the last ten years, and nearly 
one-tenth of an inch higher than that of 1860. 
The amount of Rain has been below a mean, viz., 20’27 
inches, against 24 04 inches, the mean of the twenty years 
ending December 31st, 1861. The regularity of Meteorological 
phenomena, deduced from observations extended over a series 
of years, is in no case more marked than in that of Rain-fall. 
In the several series of years ending as follows, the observer 
might apparently have concluded that the Rain-fall of York 
was steadily diminishing. 
For the ten years ending December 31st, 1850 . . . 24*834 
„ „ 1853 . . . 24*452 
„ „ 1855 . . . 23*356 
„ „ 1858 . . . 22*243 
„ „ 1859 . . . 22*017 
Nevertheless, the mean of the twenty years ending December 
31st, 1861, is 24*04 inches, being the ordinary mean given by 
observers in York for the last fifty years.* In a period of twenty 
years February has the least amount of Rain, 1*3 inches ; August 
the greatest, 2*83 inches. In 1861 April had the least Rain¬ 
fall, 0*24 inches; and September the greatest, 3*61 inches. 
August had a smaller amount of Rain than had been registered 
in that month for thirty years. The half-year in which most 
Rain falls at York is from June to November inclusive, viz., 
14*65 inches; whilst from December to May only 9*11 inches 
fell on an average of twenty years. 
In 1861 West and South-West were the prevailing Winds — 
W. 107 days, S.W. 62 days. The less genial, viz., N., N.E., E., 
and S.E., numbered 120 days, leaving 76 for S. and N.W. 
* See Phillips’s Yorkshire, p. 155. 
B 
