The diurnal anisotropy of cosmic-ray intensity observed over the period [1970][1971][1972][1973][1974][1975][1976][1977] has been analysed using neutron-monitor data of the Athens and Deep River stations. Our results indicate that the time of the maximum of diurnal variation shows a remarkable systematic shift towards earlier hours than normally beginning in 1971. This phase shift continued until 1976, the solar activity minimum, except for a sudden shift to a later hour for one year, in 1974, the secondary maximum of solar activity.This behavior of the diurnal time of maximum has been shown to be consistent with the convectivediffusive mechanism which relates the solar diurnal anisotropy of cosmic-rays to the dynamics of the solar wind and of the interplanetary magnetic field. Once again we have confirmed the field-aligned direction of the diffusive vector independently of the interplanetary magnetic field polarity. It is also noteworthy that the diurnal phase may follow in time the variations of the size of the polar coronal holes. All these are in agreement with the drift motions of cosmic-ray particles in the interplanetarty magnetic field during this time period.