92 Baron Von Buch's Observations 



a Crichton, (Memoir on the Climates of the Globe, in the An- 

 nals of Philosophy, February and March 1825), and a Dau- 

 beny. Geology certainly enables us to perceive an uninterrupted 

 series of igneous and neptunian phenomena ; that science alone 

 cannot yet explain all the details of these in a satisfactory man- 

 ner ; but she expects additional light from the progress of che- 

 mistry, natural philosophy, and astronomy ; and then only will 

 it be allowed to the philosopher to elevate himself to ideas of 

 pure geogony. 



Observations on the Climate of the Canary Islands. By Baron 

 Leopold Von Buch * 



jljLmoxg the many important additions made to the physical 

 knowledge of the earth by the travels of Humboldt, and one of 

 the most distinguished in its consequences, is the determination of 

 the temperature under the tropics. For, before this was known, 

 it was not easy to determine in how far the formulas which 

 should express the distribution of temperature at the earth's sur- 

 face, were consistent with observation. Inquired into in tempe- 

 rate and northern climates, the result of observation was always 

 affected by disturbing causes, and the object of the investigation, 

 which was to ascertain and give a distinct view of the anomalies, 

 could only be unsatisfactorily and imperfectly attained. 



Having now, however, obtained nearer information concern- 

 ing the degrees of temperature in the neighbourhood of the equa- 

 tor, at the level of the sea, a series of observations are still re- 

 quired to connect it with those made beyond the 50th degree of 

 latitude ; but it is remarkable enough that there are none from 

 which the temperature of the intermediate 40 degrees might be 

 ascertained, with the exception of those conducted in Madeira 

 by Dr Heberden in 1750, which it would be desirable to ex- 

 change with others more recent, and, on that account, probably 

 more accurate. 



Hence, it is presumed the observations instituted by the able 

 naturalist Don Francisco Escolar, at Santa Cruz in TenerifFe, 



• Memoirs of the Royal Academy of Berlin, &c. 



