The total fall during the month being 2.160 inches.
WIND.-The general direction of the wind was :—
North-East-7th.

East-12th and 13th.

South-East-10th, 14th, 22nd, 23rd, and 24th.
South-9th, 11th, 19th, 20th, 25th, and 27th.

South-West-1st, 3rd, 15th, 16th, 17th, 26th, 28th, 29th, and 30th. West-2nd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 8th, 18th, and 21st.

On the 2nd the anemograph recorded a change of direction from S. to W. at 2.30 A.M., attended with a diminution of the wind's velocity. On the 3rd the rate had increased to 40 miles per hour at 10 A.M. During the night of the 6th the wind shifted round from S. to N.E., the velocity at the same time dinishing from 15 miles to 2 miles per hour. At 9.50 P.M. the following day it went back suddenly from N.E. to W.

The 18th was nearly calm, the light westerly breeze veered to S. at 11.40 P.M. The 21st was also a calm day up to 3 P.M., the direction then altered from S. to E. The rate of the wind varied from 30 to 40 miles between 1 and 4.50 A.M. of the 29th, it then decreased to 8 miles, direction changing from S.W. to W.N.W., but at 11 A.M. it again blew at 35 miles from the S.S.W.

The largest passage of wind in twenty-four hours was 750 miles on the 31st.

FEBRUARY.

ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE.-The month opened with a very low barometer, the mean for the 1st being only 29-036 ins.; but from The 3rd it 1 P.M. that day to midnight of the 2nd it steadily rose. was stationery, but the ascensional movement was resumed on the 4th and 5th, and the mean for the latter day was 30.242 ins. From this point the mercurial column descended, gradually on the 6th, but attended with some oscillation on the 7th. On the 8th the mean was 29.598 ins. The readings increased regularly through the three following days. The barometric curve for the 12th was highly interesting. At 1 A.M. the barometer began to descend, slowly at first, but the rate afterwards increasing, the fall became fast from 10 A.M. to 4.25 P.M., at which time a violent storm passed over the Observatory, and the mercury rose immediately; by 6.10 P.M. it had risen 0-485 ins. from its former position, it afterwards continued in upward movement, but at a more usual rate. This barometric change is the most rapid and abrupt one ever recorded by the Kew instruments.

very

The mean height 30-360 ins. on the 13th was the greatest

VOL. III.-NO. IV.

X

attained during the month, pressure then diminished to 29-733 ins. on the 18th. On the 24th the barometer fell rapidly from 9 A.M. to 7.10 P.M., reducing the means from 30.249 on the 23rd to 29.993 ins. on the 25th.

Considerable oscillation was registered on the 26th and 27th, and the mercury falling during the 28th gave a mean of 29.855 ins. The mean height for the month was 29.954 ins.

TEMPERATURE OF THE AIR.-The mean temperature decreased from 50.7° on the 1st to 44.1° on the 2nd. At 4.20 A.M. on the 3rd, the thermometer rose, quickly at first, afterwards more slowly until 1 P.M., it then remained stationary until 10 A.M. the next day. The mean for the 4th was 51.9°.

The thermometer stood lower on the 6th, on which day two sudden elevations were recorded, 6.3° at 6.20 A.M., and a similar one of 4.8° at 11.30 P.M.

There was little variation in the daily curves until 11 A.M. of the 12th. The thermometer then rose 5.1° very quickly. From that time it remained constant to 4.25 P.M. An almost instantaneous decline of 13° then occurred. This movement corresponds with the barometric change at that time, and like it is unprecedented in the Observatory records.

Afterwards the temperature did not vary between 4.30 P.M. and 9 A.M. the next day. The mean on the 11th was 51.6°, and on the 18th 42.2°. The 16th mean was 48.9°; on the 17th, a heavy shower passed over the instrument at 1.55 P.M., suddenly reducing the temperature 3.7°.

After this date the days became colder until the 22°, the mean for which was the lowest of the month.

There was much fluctuation of the thermometer on the 23rd, and a fall of 3.1° was registered at 8 P.M. of the 24th. The mean for the 26th was 46.9°, it afterwards declined to 40.0° on the 28th.

The highest maximum temperatures recorded in the month were as follows:-60-8° on the 5th, 57-7° on the 6th, and 57.0° on the 11th.

The lowest maxima were 36.1° on the 22nd, and 42.0° on the 23rd. The lowest minima were 31.0° on the 19th, and 33-4° on the 23rd and 24th.

The highest minima were 51.1° on the 1st, and 50·3° on the 11th. The greatest extent of daily range was 20.7° on the 3rd, 19.4° was recorded on the 6th and 19th.

The smallest range was 2.1° on the 2nd, and the mean for the month 9.8°. The mean temperature for February was 45.9°.

RELATIVE HUMIDITY.-The quantity of moisture present in the air this month never amounted to saturation, the highest proportions being 0.98 on the 12th, and 0.95 on the 3rd, the proportion stood lowest on the 26th, 27th, and 28th, when it was 0.66, 0·57, and 0.63 respectively. The mean for the month was 0.82.

RAINFALL. The following table gives the amounts of rain received by the guage :

The quantities marked * were melted snow and rain. The total amount of rain in February was 1.980 ins.

WIND. The general direction of the wind was :

North-22nd and 23rd.

North-East-21st.

South-6th.

South-West-1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 7th, 8th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 20th, 24th, and 25th.

West-9th, 10th, 11th, 14th, 15th, 19th, and 26th.

North-West-2nd, 13th, 27th, and 28th.

On the 1st the wind blew at 40 miles per hour, until 3 P.M., then the velocity gradually diminished, and the next day was almost calm, the direction at the same time passing from S.W. to N.N.W. At 4.15 A.M. on the 3rd a S.W. breeze of 25 miles sprang up, which lasted until the night of the 5th.

The rate gradually increased on the 7th and 8th, and on the latter day the passage of 860 miles was registered by the anemograph. Several noteworthy changes of wind were recorded during the passage of the storm of the 12th. At 4.35 A.M. the direction shifted from S.S.W. to N.E., and E.; at 10.45 A.M. it again became S.W., the velocity at this time rose from 10 to 25 miles per hour, which rate was maintained until 4.25 P.M., when it suddenly mounted to above 40 miles, the direction simultaneously

veering from S.W. to N.N.W.

This high wind ceased between

7 and 8 P.M., and the night was nearly calm.

During the 20th and 21st the direction gradually moved from N.W. through S. and E. to N.E.

A change from S.W. to N.W. was recorded at 7.30 P.M. on the 24th.

MARCH.

ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE.-The last month closed with a falling barometer; but at 4 A.M. on the 1st, it turned, and rose until 2 P.M., oscillating meanwhile; another downward movement then ensued, which was attended with considerable fluctuation; this lasted to 2.30 A.M. the next day.

When the column had reached its lowest point, an elevation of 0.061 ins. occurred, which continued for half-an-hour, the barometer resuming its former position at 3.10 A.M., from which it scarcely varied until 3 P.M.

The pressure then slightly increased, and at 4.50 P.M., the barometric curve shows a sudden upward movement of 0.04 ins.; this was succeeded by a rapid rise, which ceased at 5 A.M. on the 3rd. The mean readings for the above days were as follows: on the 1st, 29.539 ins., the 2nd, 29-241 ins., and the 3rd, 30-096 ins. The reading for the 4th was still higher, 30.177 ins. A diminution of pressure on the morning of the 5th, reduced the mean to 29.878 ins., but the next day it increased to 30-232 ins.

During the 8th and 9th, the barometer went down steadily, the mean on the latter day being 29.478 ins.

A continuous upward movement set in on the 10th, and lasting to the 15th, brought the means to 29.837 ins. Between 7 P.M. on the 16th, and 4 A.M. the next morning, the barometer descended; a contrary motion set in at 9 A.M., and did not cease until 7 A.M. of the 18th.

There was a quick fall on the 19th, from 6 A.M. to 4 P.M., the daily mean being 29-462 ins. The barometer was in a state of oscillation between 2 and 6.30 P.M. on the 20th, but no decided movement took place in either an upward or downward direction. After this period increasing readings were maintained until the 23rd, which had the highest mean for the month, 30-267 ins. The pressure diminished very gradually to 29-468 ins. on the 28th, the regularity of the fall being interrupted by two small elevations, which were recorded, the first at midnight of the 6th, and the second at 6.50 P.м of the 27th.

An upward movement, accompanied with a little oscillation, took

place on the 29th; the remaining two days were very steady. The mean height for the month was 29.780 ins.

TEMPERATURE OF THE AIR.-The range of temperature in March was not very large, and the end of the month was colder than the commencement.

The mean, on the 1st, was 42.6°, and the record for that day shows a rapid rise of the thermometer from 9.15 to 11.45 P.M. On the 2nd, we have similarly registered, a sudden fall of 7·4° at 2.40 A.M., and again of 2.8° at 4 P.M. On the 3rd, the temperature had fallen to 360°, and during that night there was great fluctuation. The 5th was the warmest day in the month, the mean being 44.5°; on the 7th, it had again descended to 35.9°. There was little variation afterwards in the means until the 17th.

The curve for the 12th indicates, at 4.30 P.M., a rise of 1o, immediately succeeded by a fall of 5° in the dry bulb thermometer, the wet bulb remaining unmoved.

The 14th and 15th, thermometric traces were unusually free from fluctuation. On the 19th, the mean rose to 43.7°; during the evening of that day the temperature was constant from 8 to 10.50 P.M., then fell rapidly until 11.30 P.M., afterwards remaining stationary until 2 A.M.

On the 20th, a fall of 4° was registered at 2.30 P.M. The thermometer was quite free from variation from 7 P.M. on the 21st to 6 A.M. the next day. The mean for the 24th was 38.6°; on the 25th and 26th, 42.1°. At midnight, a sudden fall of 5° was recorded, and the temperature afterwards diminished. On the 27th, the thermometer fluctuated considerably between 3 and 5 P.M. The means gradually rose until the 31st, which was 40.5°. On the 30th, the readings did not vary one degree between 8 P.M. and 6 A.M. of the next day..

The highest maximum temperatures registered were 53.4° on the 5th, 49.3° on the 18th, and 49.8° on the 19th.

The lowest were 38.4° on the 10th, and 38.7° on the 14th. The lowest minima read were 28.8° on the 7th, 28-9° on the 4th, and 29.0° on the 8th. The thermometer also fell below the freezing point on the 3rd, 9th, 11th to 14th, 24th, and 27. The highest minimum temperatures were 39.8° on the 6th, 39-5° on the 1st and 22nd.

The greatest extent of daily range was 17.7° on the 5th, and the least 4.0° on the 10th; the mean being 10.6°. The mean temperature for March was 38.4°.

RELATIVE HUMIDITY.-There were no very damp days in March,