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2.

1940.

January. After a mild & wet November & Dec. January also opened mild but gradually the temperature fell with much east wind; this gradually passed to frosty nights & about 12th of the month a steady front commenced, which increased in intensity & which lasted without intermission till the 30th. During this spell everything froze & the thermometer at Rathmore, Co. KD. where George is working on the pipe-line of the new Dublin water supply from the Liffey registered as low as 7° Fahr. one night.

After a few days the canals in Dublin were completely frozen to traffic, the two reservoirs in Glenasmole were both completely frozen, tubs in our yard froze solid, as likewise did the bell-jar & water-can in the motor house. In England & some parts of Ireland snow fell, but Dublin escaped  with a few sprinkles of dry powder. Following the commencement of the thaw on 30th the temperature gradually increased, but the ground under the surface, canal, &c.

[[29th Jan. 1940. See note on p. 320, of previous volume of diary re Blacus humilis ? seen on this date in house! A.W.S.]]


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31.1.40. See below!

remained frozen for nearly a week longer.

February. The first week of this month was by comparison "warm" & almost continuously wet & we again escaped the heavy snow & freezing rain [[above line]] "supercooled rain" [[/above line]] which England experienced. Our Snowdrops, under the drawing room window, which had come into bloom on 10th Dec. continued to come out up till & after the frost. Those in front of S.W. window of dining room & the first in back garden, as well as the first crocus along W. wall of dining room came into flower on Sunday 4th Feb., a warm day with much hot sun, so that going to & from the museum in afternoon, where I was on duty, I discarded my overcoat. On same day (4th) George & Daisy saw a flower of Celandine at Rathfarnham whose petals had just fallen & therefore it had been out a few days.  On 31st Jan. Daisy and I drove to Bohernabreena & walked from lowest gate, where car left, to St. Anne's Church: Many ♂ Hazel out, but no ♀ flowers seen   On 29th Jan. at 9PM a ♀ Blacus appeared on my tall [[?]] lamp & ran about. She was placed in a tube but escaped past the cork. She looked like B. trivialis! A.W.S.

7th Feb. A damp mild day. The Fog was sitting in middle of the path near motor house at 9 AM.

Transcription Notes:
.Still some words that couldn't be deciphered or that currently just have best guesses. Not sure if symbols for male and female were handled properly...