204 
J. HOPKINSON-CLIMATOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS 
are stations of the Royal Meteorological Society ranking as 
“Second-Order Stations” in the classification of the Government 
Meteorological Office. At these the observations are made at 9 a.m. 
and 9 p.m.; the maximum and minimum temperatures are read at 
9 p.m. and entered to the same day, but all the other observations 
utilised for the present report are made at 9 a.m., the rainfall being 
entered to the previous day. This, however, is the invariable rule 
to he carried out at all meteorological and (solely) rainfall stations. 
The results for Rerkhamsted and Bennington are published in the 
1 Meteorological Record.’ 
In addition to the “ Second-Order Stations” the Royal Meteoro¬ 
logical Society a few years ago instituted a number of stations 
called “Climatological Stations” at which fewer observations are 
taken, and at 9 a.m. only. The returns for these, also, are published 
in the Society’s ‘ Meteorological Record.’ All the observations 
required for such stations, and more, are made at our five selected 
stations, and they are made in strict conformity with the rules 
of the Society. The other observations are of the height of the 
barometer, direction and force of the wind, general character of the 
weather, etc., but I have thought it advisable to restrict this report 
to the results of such observations as are considered by the Royal 
Meteorological Society to be of climatological value. 
In the ‘ Flora of Hertfordshire ’ published by our Society I have 
given, in the Introduction, the mean temperature and rainfall of 
each month, each season, and the year, at some of these and at 
some other places in the county, for various periods terminating, 
with two exceptions, with the year 1886. The annual means 
there given may be re-stated here, but for the seasonal and monthly 
means the 1 Flora ’ must be referred to. 
The mean annual rainfall at five stations for the 27 years 1860 
to 1886 is as follows:—At Royston, 23*76 ins.; at Hit chin, 
25*18 ins.; at Rothamsted, Harpenden, 29*01 ins.; at Hash Mills, 
Hemel Hempstead, 28*24 ins.; and at Bayfordbury, Hertford, 
25*96 ins.; giving a mean for the county of 26*43 ins., or nearly 
26^- inches. The mean annual temperature at six stations lor 
various periods ranges between 47° 2 and 48°*4, thus :—At Royston 
for the 27 years 1860 to 1886, 48°*4 ; at Hitchin for the 30 years 
1849 (Oct.) to 1879 (Sept.), 47°*2; at Berkhamsted (High Street) 
for the 6 years 1860 to 1865, 47°*9; at Watford (Wansford House) 
for the 9 years 1878 to 1886, 48°*4 ; at Throcking Rectory, near 
Buntingford, for the 7 years 1880 to 1886, 47°*2; and at Hew 
Barnet for the 6 years 1881 (incomplete at commencement of year) 
to 1886, 47°*7 ; giving a mean for the county of 47°*8. 
It will be seen that we have in the present report a continuation 
of observations at Royston and Hew Barnet, and also at Berk¬ 
hamsted, though at a new meteorological station there. The 
rainfall at St. Albans may be compared with that at Rothamsted, 
distant four miles, and the temperature with that at Watford, 
distant seven miles; and the temperature at Bennington may be 
compared with that at Throcking, distant five miles. 
