220 
J. HOPXINSON-METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS 
July. —Rather cold, with a very dry atmosphere, a sky of 
average brightness, and a small rainfall on a rather small number 
of days. The temperature of both nights and days was about 
equally below the average. The average duration of sunshine was 
much less than usual. Westerly winds prevailed, closely followed 
by south-westerly and then north-westerly. The rainfall was 
about half the average. Up to the 19th there were only two days 
of rain since the 1st, and four since the 22nd of June. The first 
half of the month was much the warmer. There was a severe 
gale on the 26th. Considerable damage was done to trees in 
St. Albans and its neighbourhood; several were uprooted at 
Sandridge; and at Windhill, near Bishop’s Stortford, a large 
plane-tree was snapped in two about a foot from the ground. 
August.— Bather cold, with a rather humid atmosphere, a cloudy 
sky, and a heavy rainfall on a large number of days. The 
temperature of both nights and days was about equally below the 
average. There was a very small record of sunshine. South¬ 
westerly and westerly winds prevailed. The rainfall was 50 per 
cent, above the average. Although many days were wet, heavy 
falls accounted for most of the rain, and were more frequent than 
in any other month in the year. On the 18th and 19th the fall 
was exceptionally heavy at Watford, an inch and a half of rain 
being gauged on the two days, and during a thunderstorm on the 
latter day the rain fell for an hour in such quantities that the low- 
lying districts were flooded. 
September. —Bather cold, with a rather dry atmosphere, a bright 
sky, and a small rainfall (less than half the average) on a small 
number of days. The temperature of both nights and days was 
about equally below the average. The duration of sunshine was 
about the average. There was no considerable preponderance of 
winds from any quarter, but north-westerly, northerly, and 
southerly winds were the least frequent. This is the third month 
in succession with both the mean maximum and mean minimum 
temperatures about a degree below the average. The last half of 
the month was almost rainless. There was a small fall on the 
16th, after which the only rain recorded at our four stations was 
0*01 in. at Bennington, 0-01 in. at St. Albans, and 0-002 in. at 
New Barnet, none falling at Berkhamsted. 
October. —Bather mild, with an atmosphere of average humidity, 
a very cloudy sky, and a small rainfall (about half the average) on 
the usual number of days. The nights only were warmer than 
usual, the days being of average temperature; the mean daily 
range was therefore less than usual. There was very little 
sunshine, its duration being only about half the average. The 
wind came most frequently from the north-east, south-west, and 
west. The first seven days were cold, with scarcely any rain, the 
next nine days were warm, with rain on six or seven, and the last 
fifteen days were of about average temperature, with rain on more 
than half the number. Between the 16th of September and the 
9th of October the rain recorded at Bennington was 0-06 in. on 
