188 
J. HOPKINSON—METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS 
the mean for the first fortnight being 29-675 ins. and for the second 
fortnight, 30*500 ins. The following are the readings of the 
barometer for the last six days :— 
ins. ins. ins. 
23rd . 30-860 25th. 30-711 27th. 30-499 
24th . 30-709 26th. 30-681 28th. 30-517 
On the 2nd the low pressure of 28-968 ins. was registered. Max. 
temp, above 52° on 5 days, never below 42°; min. below 32° on 
2 only (1st and 17th). 
March. —Very cold, bright, and windy, with a rather hnmid 
atmosphere of average pressure, and a great prevalence of strong 
IV. and 1V.E. winds, accompanied by snow between the 6th and 
13th. March is usually a dry month, so that the small amount of 
rain which fell is not exceptional. Max. temp, above 52° on 2 
days only (in 1882 the number of days was 21); min. below 32° 
on 23 days. Readings below 26° were recorded on eight days. 
8th. 25°-0 10th. 22°-9 24th. 20°-5 28th.......... 25°-l 
9th . 24 -9 16th. 22 -3 27th. 24 -5 29th. 25 *9 
The only tolerably warm periods were the first three and the last 
three days, a decided and permanent change to warmer weather 
taking place in the interval between the minimum of 25°-9 on the 
night of the 28th, and 9 a.m. on 29th, when the temperature 
had risen to 41°-8. 
1 st to 3rd. 9 a.m. 42°-l Mean Min. 38°-3 Mean Max. 47°’6 Mean 42°-7 
Mean of Month ,, 35 *7 ,, 29 -6 ,, 42 -8 ,, 36 -0 
29th to 31st. ,, 44-0 „ 32-4 ,, 51*1 ,, 42-5 
The period of very high pressure of the atmosphere which com¬ 
menced in February continued into March, the readings of the 
barometer for the first six days being as follows :— 
ins. ins. ins. 
1st . 30-441 3rd. 30-711 5th. 30-639 
2nd. 30-648 4th. 30-720 6 th. 30-230 
April. —Of average temperature, with a very dry atmosphere of 
rather high pressure. The month may be divided into a dry and 
a wet period, no rain falling during the first 17 days (a very long 
period without), and there being only four days without rain during 
the last 13. The dry period, after one cold day, the 1st (mean 
43°-5), was warm and then turned cold ; and the wet period, after 
one warm day, the 18th (mean 54 0, 2), was cold and then turned 
warm, and the temp, throughout was very variable. Max. above 
52° on 23 days, above 62° on 3 (3rd, 5th, and 18th); min. below 
32° on 6 (1st, 2nd, 9th, 11th, 24th, and 26th). There was a 
snow-storm, with hail and rain, on the 23rd. 
May. —Of average temperature, with a rather dry atmosphere of 
average pressure. The first half of the month, however, was de¬ 
cidedly cold and wet, and the second half just the reverse. The 
average temperature from 1st to 14th was 47°, and rain fell, -to the 
amount of 1-38 in., every day but four; and the average temp, 
from 15th to 31st was 57°, rain falling on one day only, 26th, to 
