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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-
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