Dr. T. Thomson on the Geology and Climate of Nice. 193 



thought not improbable that the oolite continues throughout, although no 

 opportunity occurred of verifying this opinion. The limestone round 

 Genoa is often slatey and dark coloured, having much the aspect of moun- 

 tain limestone, but the great abundance of white marble every where 

 conspicuous in Genoa, indicated that this ornamental article of architec- 

 ture must bo near and plentiful. 



From accurate meteorological tables kept at Nice for thirty consecutive 

 S by M. Roubodi, it appears that the mean temperature of Nice 

 (which is situated in N. lat. 43° 40', and E. Ion. 7° 15',) is 60°62, while 

 that of Naples, 3° to the south, is 61°. Hence it appears to possess a 

 higher temperature than it ought to have from its position. In winter, 

 tho lowest point to which the thermometer has been observed to fall is, 

 27°'5, but it has never remained at this point more than a few hours 

 In two out of three years it does not freeze at all, and even when frost 

 occurs at night, the thermometer at two p.m. always rises to at least 

 43°'25. The mean temperature of the winter three months is 48°'25, 

 of the spring three months 48°'62, of autumn 54 0, 375 and of summer 

 (38°. Tho highest point to which the thermometer has been observed to 

 rise in summer, is 88°25. 



The atmosphere at Nice is generally dry, especially in winter and spring, 

 when the wind blows from the north. It is driest near the sea-shore, and 

 becomes moister as we go to the interior. The humidity is greatest by 

 the Paillon and the Var, two torrents which come from the mountains, 

 the last constituting the boundary between France and the country of 

 Nice. 



In summer the south-east wind usually blows from nine in the morning 

 till five in the afternoon. This wind, coming from the sea, preserves a 

 temperature varying from 73° to 82°. 



The most common winds are the south-east, the north, and the north- 

 east. 



In winter the north-east and north-west, in summer the south-east wind 

 most commonly blows. 



The clear, cloudless winter sky is owing to the north wind. The south- 

 Mfl brings good weather. In winter it raises the thermometer, in summer 

 it moderates the heat. 



The quantity of rain which falls at Nice is very various. The greatest 

 annual quantity during the last thirty years is forty-five inches, the least 

 sixteen inches, and the mean quantity amounts to twenty-six. The most 

 rainy season is the autumn, the fall during that season varying from six 

 to ten inches. In summer it varies from two to seven inches, in spring 

 from three to eight, and in winter from four to seven. 



The rain is often very heavy ; five inches have fallen in twenty-four 

 hours. But this is small compared to what falls in India. At Maha- 

 bolathwtjr, on the west coast of Indostan, latitude about 18°, there fell in 

 one year 302*21 inches of rain, or as much as would have covered the 

 earth to a height of twenty-five feet. During the month of August, 1843, 

 there fell at Cananore, on the same coast, 130 inches of rain. 



