|  | Weather in Kendal 
 Kendal, Jan. 8.
 Mr. URBAN,
 PERHAPS the following remarks on the weather and natural  
history of a part of the country, where nothing of the kind  
has been before attempted, may prove acceptable to your  
philosophical readers, It will be necessary to add, that  
this year has been the wettest we have experienced since the 
commencement of my Journal in 1787.
 JOHN GOUGH.
 Abstract of a Meteorological Diary, kept at Kendal  
for 1792.
 Explanation of the Table. - The first column contains 
the month; the second, the mean height ofthe barometer in  
inches and decimals; the third and fourth, the greatest and  
least heights; the fifth, the space moved through by the  
mercury; the sixth, the mean of the thermometer; the seventh 
and eighth, the mean of the hottest and coldest days; the  
ninth, the height of the rain in inches; the tenth, the  
number of wet days.
 
 
    
 N.B. The means in the foregoing Table are taken from three  
observations each day, without one ommission. The space  
moved through by the mercury is found by adding together the 
differences arising from the subtraction of the different  
heights of the column, in the barometer, at each successive  
change.
 Notes for the year 1792.
 February 1. The hedge-sparrow, motacilla  
modularis, singing.
 4. Thrush, turdus musicus, singing.
 12. Rooks, corvus fragilegus, building.
 15. The chaffinch, fringilla coelebs, singing. The  
female was seen on the 25th: none were observable in  
January. Is the return of these birds proclaimed by the song 
of the male?
 March 6. Yellow wagtail, motacilla flava,  
singing.
 18. Woodcocks, scolopax rusticula, are very abundant  
at present, after disappearing for a fortnight. These  
visitors, perhaps, are on their return from Ireland to the  
Continent.
 24. The wheatear, motacilla oenan; the female taken  
on the hills.
 29. The sand martin, hirundo riparia, two seen, and  
again on the 31st.
 April 4. The redbreast, motacilla rubicula,  
has reired to the woods.
 6. Bees busy on the gooseberry blossom.
 8. The redstart, motacilla phoenicurus, seen; the  
same began to sing on the 25th.
 11. Swallows, hirundo rustica, two seen; they were  
numerous on the 13th.
 15. Blackcap, motacilla atracapilla, singing.
 23. Phryganea bicaudata, plentiful. Few swallows seen 
since the 13th. The sand-martins mentioned in March have  
been stragglers, as they disappeared again. The cuckow,  
cuculus canorus, heard this day.
 25. The whitethroat, motocilla sylvia, singing.
 29. The shrew, sorex araneous, abroad, and a wasp,  
vespa vulgaris, and the stonechatter, motacilla  
rubicola.
 30. The swift, hirundo apus.
 May 14. The corncrake, rallus crex, crying in  
the grass. n.b. This bird breeds here in June.
 15. Young sparrows, fringilla domestica, fledged.
 22. The quail, tetroa coturnix, rare here.
 June 4. Cockchaffer, scaraboeus melolontha, on 
the wing.
 A little hay cut between the 16th and 27th.
 August 7. The swifts have been gra-
 
 |