THE gMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION. 



237 



It is still more striking that the winds came from due west, or rather 

 from the octant corresponding to that point, more than half the year ; 

 the summing up of that column being 557 against 538 from all other 

 points, embracing seven eighths of the compass. 



Observe the remarkable contrast between the columns of w^est and 

 east winds, the latter presenting only 17 observations in the year ! It 

 is a well, ascertained fact that westerly winds predominate in the tem- 

 perate latitudes of the northern hemisphere, on both continents. But I 

 cannot discover that in any other spot on the globe the winds blow 

 from one octant 186 days, and from the opposite octant only six days 

 in the year. 



Dividing the year into four seasons, January, February and Decem- 

 ber being classed as the winter months, we have the following result : 



Thus it appears that the proportion of land winds to sea winds, in 

 the several months, was as follows : 



January, land winds, 52 observations ; sea winds, 41 observations. 



Grouping the months into seasons, and reducing the observations to- 

 days, three observations representing one entire day, we find in the — 



Spring, land winds, 12 days, sea winds, 80 days. 

 Summer, do 3 do do 89 do. 



Autumn, do 16 do do 75 do. 



Winter, do 41 do do 49 do. 



Total, 



293 



In every month of the year the sea winds exceed the land winds,, 

 except Januarjs when the reverse occurred. In January, 1852, the 

 land winds were 61, and the sea winds 32. In February, however, the 

 former were but 27, and the latter 60. In December, 1850, the land 

 winds exceeded the sea winds by one observation, the ficures standing- 

 47 to 46. 



liy casting the eye over the tables, one is struck with the progressive 

 increase of the sea winds after the month of January, and the almost 

 entire absence of the opposite winds from May to "September, inclu- 

 sive — the land winds in these five months occupying only six days. 



The winds from north and east are always dry, and in winter cooL 



