RAINFALL IN’ HERTFORDSHIRE IN’ 1885 . 
79 
From this analysis we find that the wettest day in each month 
was— 
Jan. 31st. Apr. loth. July 11th. Oct. 23rd. 
Feb. 16th. May 21st. Aug. 26th. Nov. 26th. 
Mar. 3rd. June 8th. Sept. 10th. Dec. 30th. 
The mean number of wet days in each month, and the relation 
which that number bears to the mean, appears to be— 
Jan. wet days 15 or 1 below mean. 
Feb. ,, 18 or 3 above ,, 
Mar. ,, 7 or 7 below ,, 
Apr. ,, 15 or 2 above ,, 
May ,, 17 or 4 above ,, 
June ,, 11 or 3 below ,, 
July wet days 5 or 8 below mean. 
Aug. ,, 11 or 3 below ,, 
Sept. ,, 20 or 7 above ,, 
Oct. ,, 19 or 5 above ,, 
Nov. ,, 18 or 2 above ,, 
Dec. ,, 14 or 1 below „ 
Out of a total of 170 wet days, only 27 occurred during the 
summer months, or 14 days less than the average; whilst 57 
occurred in the autumn months, or 14 above the average; thus we 
had a fortnight more of dry weather than usual during the summer, 
which, however, was counterbalanced by an extra fortnight of wet 
in the autumn. 
I shall now proceed to notice briefly the general characteristics 
of the weather of each month, noticing every fall of half an inch 
and upwards, and using the same terms as in my previous report, 
namely, falls of £ inch considerable ; falls of f inch very considerable ; 
falls of 1 inch great ; falls of If inch very great] falls of If inch 
heavy ; falls of If inch very heavy ; falls of 2 inches excessive. I 
have to thank 19 out of our 26 observers for having again furnished 
me with a record of the daily fall at their stations, thus enabling 
me to supply these details. 
January.— The month divides itself into four periods of alter¬ 
nately dry and wet weather; thus lst-7th, and 16th-25th were dry, 
whilst 8th-15th, and 26th to end of month were wet. On the 10th 
the fall was appreciable at all stations, and could almost be called 
considerable at some. At Nash Mills it was great , 1*03 inch. On 
31st, the wettest day at all but two stations, the fall was very 
considerable at Wansford House, 0-88, Berkhamsted, 0*86, Nash 
Mills, 0-85, Gorhambury, 0-82, Moor Park and Bothamsted, 0’78, 
and Watford House, 0*76; it was considerable at Cowroast, 0*73, 
Welwyn, 0'66, Kneb worth, 0*63, Tring and Throcking, 0*62, 
Bennington, 0’61, Great Gaddesden and Therfield, 0’60, Datchworth 
and Hitchin, 0*59, Kensworth, 0-54, and Bayfordbury, 0 - 51. 
Slight snow fell between 12th and 16th. No rain fell upon the 
1st or 6th, and 7th to 24th was an absolutely dry period; at 
Bennington alone 0'01 fell on 7th and again on 24th. 
February.— A somewhat unsettled month, but with one or two 
short dry periods; thus 9th to 13th, and 18th to 20th were dry at 
most stations, llth-13th being absolutely dry at all. On 4th the 
fall was very considerable at Gorhambury, 0*97 ; on 16th, when max. 
fell at most stations, it was considerable at Hadham, 0*74, Southgate, 
0-69, Moor Park, 0*66, Kensworth, 0*65, Watford House, Fanhams 
Hall, and Ware (N.B.C.), 0*64, Bayfordbury, 0-63, Bennington, 
