Vol 5 - Dumfriesshire & Galloway Natural History and Antiquarian ...

61Trani^nctionH.constantly in motion, and iscliaracterisod liy waves of greater orless height. Wlien an anti-cyclone, or period of high pressure,occurs the crest of the wave is passing over us, while in a cyclonewe are under the trough of the wave.Tetnperattore of the Year.—The highest temperature occurredon the30th June and 2d July, when the maximum reading ofthe thermometer was 78 degrees ;the lowest on the 21st December,when the minimum i-eading was 8 degrees, and the riverNith for the only time during the season was frozen over. Annualrange, 70 degrees ; mean temperature of the year, 46-2 degrees ;mean at Cargen for last 26 years, 47"9 degrees. The meantemperature of August, October, and November was above theaverage, that of the other months was below it. During theyear there were 112 days on which the minimum reading of thethenuometer was at and below 32 degrees— 27 in January (157degrees of frost); 18 in February (91 degrees); 16 in March(75 degrees); 4 in April (4 degrees); 3 in September (2-5 degrees).3 in October (2-5 degrees) ;7 in November (8 degrees) ; and 27in December (196 degrees)—in all 536 degrees of frost. It willbe observed from this statement that the autumn months werecharactei'ized by milder weather than usual, while January,February, and December, with the first half of March, were of apeculiarly wintry character, and marked by a temperature muchbelow the average, though frequent fluctuations, both of pressureand temperature, made the weather as a rule exceedingly changeable.The spring and early summer were also colder than usual,a circumstance which threw the harvest into a late period of theyear, when much rain fell, and caused great damage to cerealcrops.Rainfall of the Year.—There was an extremely heavy fallbetween the 12tli and 13th October, when the rain gauge registered0-91 in. for the 24 hours. We can better imagine howmuch this represents when we take into account the ascertainedfact that the fall of an inch of rain in depth is equivalent to100 tons of water per acre. But the heaviest fall of the yearoccurred on the 5th September, on a Sabbath afternoon, wlien1 -02 in. was recorded in the 24 hours. Unlike the former, whichwas a steady, continuous fall through the day and night, the"reater part of this fell within the space of an hour. The previousday (Saturday) was oppressively warm, witli a maximum temperatureof 77 degrees, and the atmosphere strongly charged with