182 
J. HOPKINSON-REPORT ON THE 
Table III. —Supplementary to Tables I and II. 
1 
District. 
1 
Station. 
Observer. 
Gauge. 
Rainfall. 
Days. 
Hiz .. 
Hitchin... 
F. hansom .. 
ins. 
5 
12 
8 
72x87 
6 sqr. 
ins. 
21*89 
21 94 
23 - 54 
24- 78 
21*21 
197 
151 
166 
177 
Gade. 
Yer.| 
j 
Nash Mills . 
Rothamsted . 
Gorhambury. 
J. Dickinson & Co. 
Lawes & Gilbert . 
5 } 
Earl of Verulam .... 
The mean rainfall in the county in the year 1890 was 22*39 
inches. This is 4*35 ins. below the mean for the 10 years 1880-90, 
and 4*04 ins. below that for the half-century 1840-89 uncorrected 
for disparity of distribution of the gauges prior to the last decade. 
For the last nine years each third year has been a dry one, the 
mean rainfall in Hertfordshire during this period having been as 
follows : *■— 
1882 . 30*57 1885 29*00 1888 26*09 
1883 . 26*95 1886 27*50 1889 27*50 
1884 . 20*63 1887 19*73 1890 22*39 
Mean. 26 05 Mean. 25*41 Mean..... 25*33 
On the 17th of July there was a very heavy fall of rain over the 
whole county. Though not so heavy at most stations as the fall of 
the 12th of July, 1889, it was more general than that, everywhere 
exceeding an inch; and while that was lightest in the south-west, 
this was heaviest there, the fall at Moor Park, Rickmansworth, 
4*19 ins., being unprecedented in the annals of Hertfordshire. It is 
the heaviest fall recorded in England on this day, but a gauge 
at Hillingdon, near Uxbridge, holding 4 inches, overflowed, and 
there are several records of between 3 and 4 inches. There can 
be no doubt as to its correctness. In a letter which appeared in 
the ‘Times’ of 26th July, Mr. Gr. J. Symons, F.R.S., says: “I have 
had returns from that station for some years, and had every reason 
to believe them to be correct, but in order to place the record beyond 
suspicion I went to Moor Park, tested the gauge, cross-examined 
one of the gardeners who saw the measurement made, and examined 
the paths and flower-beds in the garden, the result being that I 
have not the shadow of a doubt as to the accuracy of the record— 
a fall in twelve hours of about twice the average for the whole 
month.” 
Distribution of Rainfall throughout the Year .— Of the total rain¬ 
fall 17 °/ofell during the winter months (Jan., Feb., andHec.), 23 °/ 0 
during the spring (March to May), 40 % during the summer (June 
to Aug.), and 20 °/ 0 during the autumn (Sept, to Nov.). The fall 
during each quarter and each season, and the deviation from the 
mean for the half-century, 1840-89, was as follows :— 
* Here and elsewhere the values are expressed in inches. 
