4 TROPICAL NATURE, AND OTHER ESSAYS. 



Fahr., while it seldom falls during the night below 74 

 Fahr. It has been found by hourly observations car- 

 ried on for three years at the meteorological observatory 

 established by the Dutch government at Batavia, that 

 the extreme range of temperature in that period was 

 only 27 Fahr., the maximum being 95 and the mini- 

 mum 68. But this is, of course, very much beyond 

 the usual daily range of the thermometer, which is, on 

 the average, only a little more than 11 Fahr. ; being 

 12 '6 in September when it is greatest, and only 8'1 in 

 January, when it is least. 



Batavia, being situated between six and seven degrees 

 south of the equator, may be taken as affording a fair 

 example of the climate of the equatorial zone ; though, 

 being in an island, it is somewhat less extreme than 

 many continental localities. Observations made at Para, 

 which is continental and close to the equator, agree how- 

 ever very closely with those at Batavia ; but at the 

 latter place all the observations were made with 

 extreme care and with the best instruments, and are 

 therefore preferred as being thoroughly trustworthy. 1 

 The accompanying diagram, showing by curves the 

 monthly means of the highest and lowest daily tempera- 

 tures at Batavia and London, is very instructive ; more 

 especially when we consider that the maximum of 

 temperature is by no means remarkably different in the 

 two places, 90 Fahr. being sometimes reached with us 

 and not being often very much exceeded at Batavia. 



1 " Observations Made at the Magnetical and Meteorological Observatory 

 at Batavia. Published by order of the Government of Netherlands India. 

 Vol. I. Meteorological, from Jan. 1866 to Dec. 1868 ; and Magnetical, from 

 July 1867 to June 1870. By Dr. P. A. Bergsraa. Batavia, 1871." This 

 fine work is entirely in English. 



