“Ring Out, Wild Bells, to the Wild Sky!” 19

wintry. A cold spell, N. VV., Dec. 12th, 1917; at 8 a. m. it was 3. degrees above zero.

Falconwood Hospital destroyed by fire, with loss of three lives, Dec. 13, 1931. Thermometer at zero at 8 a. m. on Dec. 13, 1933 The night of Dec. 15, 1916 was signalized by a severe frost “rubbed in" by a gale said to be 60 m. p. m. “Ten above zero” on Dec. 18, 1915. Sixteen below zero Dec. 18, 1919. Observed crows flying on North Short Dec. 18, 1930.

Observed two large flocks of Wild Geese going S. W. Dec. 20, 1927. “Unhealthy weather, foggy, mild, ground sloppy”, note on Dec. 21, 1916, Some of the good folk of Mount Herbert will remember the night of Dec. 22, 1916, when a Christmas Tree festival was held in the Consolidated School. When it was over the audience emerged to a pitiless rain, driven by a 60 m. p. h. wind that even the horses could scarcely face. That was a night! Crows flying and vocal, Dec. 22, 1922.

A cold spell, 3 deg. below zero on the eve of Dec. 23, 1917. Another memorable day Tuesday, Dec. 23, 1930; a great many people took cars to the City for “Christmas Market.” In the afternoon an easterly snowstorm blew up and filled the roads with snow. The cars were abandoned On all the routes from the City, while the occupants were taken home by “Good Samaritans” with. sleighs. A note on Dec. 23, 1932, says that eels taken this year are small and thin; and suggests that this is due to failure of the eel-grass and the plankton it supports.

Dec. 25, 1918, was a “green Christmas” all right with rain and mist and the Wind SE. It was the great influenza year too. In 1920 no sleighing till Dec. 26th. ‘

St_ Lawrence still open Dec. 28, 1918; and Hills‘boro River free of ice. Ten below zero on Dec. 28, 1926. Zero on the morn- ing of Dec. 29th, 1917; a hard winter, with the mail very irregular. (Terrible weather on the European battle fronts, Dec, 1917). Wild snowstorms Dec. 29, 1923, and Dec. 30, 1921.

With that last entry we have circled the year and the records give the impression of a very changeable climate. Almost any day of any month may be inclement or spring—like and mild, though two periods are fairly constant: the heat of July, and the col-d spell from the middle of January to the end of February.

The general character of the winds in this Province may be briefly summed up as follows:

The West wind is blustery, especially in Spring; cold but With considerable sunshine.

South—west winds are boisterous in winter, and in summer they are the uncomfortable omens of a cyclonic storm.