COUNCIL Foil 1854 . 
13 
in the last year have not been numerous. Among the dona¬ 
tions may be mentioned the First Part of Miscellanea Graphica, 
a description, accompanied by beautiful illustrations, of works 
of mediaeval art, in the possession of Lord Londesborough. 
The Library continues to receive the successive numbers of 
various publications of high scientific interest for which the 
Society has subscribed. Among them are two splendid works 
by Mr. Gould, The Birds of Asia, and the Trochilidse or Hum¬ 
ming Birds. 
Among the donations to the Library from public bodies, the 
Council notice with peculiar satisfaction that of the Volumes of 
the Archaeologia from the Society of Antiquaries, beginning 
with the year 1853. Various other Literary and Scientific 
Societies have presented their respective Transactions and 
Reports of Proceedings. The approaching publication of a 
Second Part of the Papers read before the Yorkshire Philoso¬ 
phical Society will afford an opportunity of acknowledging these 
gifts by a return, which the Council trust will not be found of 
inferior value.* 
The Meteorological Register for York presents for the year 
1854, considerable departures from ordinary circumstances in 
the range of the mercurial column, in that of temperature and 
in the amount of rain. On the 4th of March, at ix a. m., with a 
north wind, external temperature 39°, temperature of the 
mercury 63°, the column measured 30932 inches, a height 
unprecedented in 25 years 5 experience. On January 8th, the 
column measured only 28’824 inches; this is the lowest obtained 
in the year, making the range 2T08 inches. The range of 
temperature has also been extraordinary, from—3 on January 
3rd to 79° July 22nd, making a range of 82 degrees. The rain 
amounted only to 18*52 inches, being 5*75 below a mean of 20 
years. 
The mean temperature of the year has varied very slightly 
from the mean of 20 years, being *72 of a degree below that 
mean. 
* Members not residing in York, may have their copies of the Second Part of 
the Proceedings transmitted by post, by application to Mr. Charlesworth, at the 
Museum, with an enclosure of six postage stamps. 
