63 
within half an inch, but probably below rather than above. 
Of this we may he almost sure from the further records giving 
ns, with 1891, a mean for 75 years of 24‘606 inches. Setting 
aside the abnormal decade 1871—80, and taking instead that 
of 1881—40 (24*01)* we get a mean value of 24*20 inches. 
From this the decades diverge only from 28 27 in 1851—60 
to 24*95 in 1881—90. This would make us expect, in the 
mean of these 50 years, an error of only 0*88 inch from the 
actual value. 
Extreme Records certainly need a much longer period. 
As if to leave no doubt of this on our minds, 1891 broke or 
equalled no less than nine records of the previous 50 years, three 
of an absolute nature for the year. 
(1) February was the first month absolutely without rain f 
(2) Therefore it, of course, had no days with rain ”. 
(8) In no previous year was the lowest point touched by the 
barometer so high as 29*927. Nearest to this comes 29*918 in 
May, 1844. 
(4) The mean bar. in February, 80*429, was higher 
(80-80 in ’87). 
(5) The succeeding minimum in November, 28*804, was 
0 21 inches lower than the November record in 1859. 
(6) The min. temp, in April, 22°, and (T) May, 24*8°, 
respectively, compare with 22*4° in 1881, and 25° in 1855, 
(8) The May range of temp. 51*2°, exceeds that of 1855, which 
was 50°. 
(9) The July, min., for a seventh time, was 40°. The 
thermometer would seem to find a difficulty in getting lower. 
Earlier records, also, show the same thing. The highest mean 
of max. and min. temperatures was 50° in 1846. In I'^OO it 
was 50 8, and in 1884, 50*2. The range of annual temperature 
from 1841—90 was 5 6°; but from 1800—24 it was 6*4°, as in 
1816, the year of terrible harvests, which octogenarians still 
recall, the mean was only 44*4°. We must not, of course, rely 
too much upon instruments of that or any date, concerning 
* Value given in Phillips’ “ Climate of York,” aec. to Y.P.S. Met. Rep. in 
1871; but I find no trace of sucli a work. 
t The amount recorded really fell about G am., on March Isl, besides O'Ol of 
fog. As the fall of 0'23 inches in 1865 was then reported to be the smallest in any 
month from 1831, this extends the recoi’d over 60 years at least. 
Special case 
of liainfall. 
Extreme 
Eecords. 
Four exceeded 
in i8qi. 
Others in previ¬ 
ous returns. 
