COUNCIL FOE. 1890 . 
11 
Ostrich [Rhea Americana) has been presented by Mr. C. J,. 
Naylor; an Apteryx (A. Owenii) by Miss Darley; some 
Humming Birds (with nests) by Captain Thomson; a small 
collection of skins by Mrs. Tiite, and the Honorary Curator has 
added to the collection a Black-bellied Dipper, shot at Spurn. 
The collection of eggs has received many additions, due 
chiefly to the energy and kindness of Canon Baine. 
M ETEOROLOGY.— The present year completes the half-century 
of reports upon this subject presented to the members of the 
Yorkshire Philosophical Society. It is hoped that the results 
will be in due course worked out and utilised. 
Temperature was again slightly above the average; the 
mean of the 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. returns is 47‘7^, that of the 
maxima and minima 48'2°. The former is higher, the 
latter 0'35‘^ lower than last year, which leaves practically no 
choice between the two. The distribution of temperature has, 
however, been different. February, March, April, September, 
and October were warmer in 1890, September by as much as 
4:'!^. Indeed it was actually the warmest month in the year. 
December was 4*2'^’ colder. Its mean, 32*6°, was the lowest in 
December since 1878 and 1879. 1846, 1859, and 1874 also 
gave colder Decembers, the last recording 29'8°. The coldest 
January was 1881 (28’3°), but the mean in February, 1855, was 
only 25'9". The Februaries of that decade indeed give the 
coldest average (35’5°) for any set of months. The Januaries 
were coldest in the forties, sixties and eighties, the Decembers 
in the seventies. 
Over the whole period, however, January is the coldest, 
December coming next. 
The absolute extremes last year were 79'9° on August 5th 
and 13^ on December 13th. The maximum in December, 46, 
was lower than any since 1844 when it was 44". But in 1842 
the January maximum was 40". 
The weather charts show that a continental winter of unusual 
severity and extent, involved the Southern, and especially the 
South Eastern, parts of Britain- within its sphere of action. 
The tracks of depressions which by crossing our island, usually 
