12 
REPORT OF THE 
Sowerby states that it is found in Lancashire and one or two 
other localities, but does not mention Scotland as a habitat. 
Bentham (British Flora, 5th edition) is of opinion that it 
has become naturalized from Russia, but mentions only the 
southern counties of England. 
The valuable collection of plants presented by the Dalton 
family is also in a good state of preservation. 
Meteorology.— 1888 was the third successive unusually 
cold year. Though the mean of the morning and evening 
temperatures 46*09° was a few hundredths higher than last 
year (46*05°), it must be regarded as equally cold, since the 
average mean of the maxima and minima was 46*6° against 
46*9° The 1887 value is higher because of the high day 
temperatures of the “Jubilee summer,” which outbalanced the 
greater coolness of the night temperatures. 
In 1887 the morning records average 1*3° higher than the 
evening; in 1888 the excess was only 0*7° Last year the 
lowest monthly mean minimum was 30*3°—the highest mean 
maximum 74*0° ; this year they are 31*5° and 64*3° Thus in 
various ways the fact is shown that 1888 was notable for 
continuous rather than excessive coolness, although the actual 
range of temperature from 12*0° to 83*3° is 5*1° greater than 
last year, when even the maximum was slightly lower. Most 
notable was the lack of warmth in June and July. The mean 
for the tw T o months (53*6°) is 1*2° lower than in 1871, till 
now the coldest summer since our records began in 1841. 
February was the coldest month, August the warmest, but 
November the most exceptionally warm. Even December was 
2J° warmer than March. Hence the number of flowers 
blooming on Christmas Day was unusual for York. Miss 
Backhouse made a list of over 30 at the Holgate Nursery 
grounds. 
Bright Sunshine. —The total, 1149 hours, was practically 
the same as in 1886, but otherwise less than the other six 
years of our records, except the sunless season of 1885. 
May, more pronouncedly than ever, shows itself the sunniest of 
months. 
