Page:Transactions of the Provincial Medical and Surgical Association, volume 2.djvu/92

 by every one there resident. The great prevalence of westerly winds in this district will be more particularly noticed hereafter: now, this wind, if it does not always bring rain, certainly has always qualities of great humidity, sufficiently cognizable by the senses. The warm west winds often bring with them a sort of drizzly rain, sufficient to wet thoroughly, grass and other vegetables, or the clothes of a person exposed to it; while neither the rain gauge, nor the roads or streets, show any indication of its presence, unless long continued.

Frost and Snow.─A consequence of the mildness of the winters, is the comparative infrequency of frost and snow in this district. It results from Mr. Giddy, sen.'s tables, that the average number of days on which snow has fallen in any one year, is very little more than two and a half; and, including the days on which hail showers are noted, it scarcely amounts to nine. It appears, also, that of the fourteen years included in the tables, there have been four on which no snow fell. Of course, the existence of causes to prevent the fall of snow will prevent its continuance on the ground; and the fact is, that snow never remains on the soil in the vicinity of Penzance more than a day or two, seldom, indeed, more than a few hours; and even on the highest grounds, in the centre of the narrow peninsula, it seldom has been known to continue more than a week or ten days.

The occurrence of frost is almost as rare; at least it is a very uncommon circumstance for the ponds to be frozen sufficiently to bear the weight of a man. The consequence is, that skating is entirely unknown