METEOROLOGY IN EUSSIA. 



281 



west wind was also noticed in winter at Mount Alibert, and described 

 as a warm wind, wliile, as we have said before, calms with intense radi- 

 ation prevailed in the lowlands. 



These facts, as also much of what we begin to know abont the plateaus 

 of iSTorth America, show that the so-called laws of decrease of tempera- 

 ture with elevation are not generally applicable. The older notions on 

 this point are taken from the observations in tropical South America 

 and the mountain regions of Western Europe; that is, from maritime 

 climates and mountain-chains. In regard to plateaus, these laws, we 

 are sure, must be very different, but we are not able at present to state 

 what they really are. In the present state of our knowledge we can 

 only say that the decrease of temperature will be greater, first, in mount- 

 ain-chains than on [>lateaus ; secondly", in summer than in winter, or gen- 

 erally in warm temperatures than in cold 5 thirdly', in dry than in moist 

 air. 



The parts of Asia belonging to Russia present the most interesting 

 l)roblems relative to the influence of position on the distribution of 

 temperature which can be found. Unfortunately these countries are 

 scarcely emerged from darkness. 



The range of temperature is an important element, which ought to be 

 more studied than it is at present. I will refer only to an oi)inion very 

 widely entertained in Russia, that the Siberian climate is very constant 

 in comparison with that of Europe. This is erroneous, at least so far 

 as Western Siberia is concerned, which has a very variable temperature 

 especially in winter, scarcely less than that of the Mississippi Yalley, so 

 cc)nspicuous in this respect. 



The following table shows the mean highest and lowest tem])eratures 

 of each month, observed with maximum and minimum thermometers, 

 ibr twelve years, from 1851 to 18G2. 



Month. 



January . . 

 l''ebrnary . 



March 



April 



May 



June 



July 



August - . - 

 September 

 October... 

 Is'ovember 

 December 



St. Petersburn 



a 



35.4 

 34.0 

 39.7 



74.3 



79.2 



83.3 



77.4 



C8.7 



57.4 



43. 



37.0 



-11.2 



-8.5 



-2.6 



15. fi 



29.1 



39.2 



48.9 



45.3 



34.9 



23.0 



4.1 



- 4.7 



4G.4 

 42. 5 

 42.3 

 39.0 

 45.2 

 40.0 

 34.4 

 3-2.1 

 33. P 

 34,4 

 39.4 

 41.7 



Lugan, (Soutli- 

 east Kussia.) 



3 



39.7 

 40.5 

 56.3 

 77.0 

 86.9 

 92.7 

 95.0 

 93.9 

 85.3 

 74.8 

 56.1 

 43.0 



Pi 



-1.5.7 



-13.4 

 - 2.4 

 21.0 

 34.5 

 42.6 

 50.0 

 44.4 

 34.7 

 19.2 

 5.7 



Barnaul, (West 

 Siberia.) 



r^ 



28.2 

 37.1 

 41.2 

 63.7 

 82.0 

 87.1 

 89.4 

 85.5 

 75.0 

 02.6 

 41.9 

 33.1 



-43.1 

 -30.4 

 -27.4 

 1.4 

 23.0 

 30.7 

 4G.3 

 39.6 

 25.9 

 4.8 



O 



71.3 

 08.6 

 68.6 

 63.3 

 59.0 

 50.4 

 4.3.1 

 45.9 

 49.7 

 57.8 

 64.0 

 07.7 



K'ertschin.slj, (2,000 

 feet,) (East Si- 

 beria.) 



3 



2. J- 



17.4 

 40.6 

 60.8 

 79.2 

 87.6 

 86. 5 

 84.4 

 72.3 

 57.0 

 33.8 

 11.1 



-42.9 

 -35.1 

 -22.2 

 2.1 

 21.4 

 34.7 

 45.1 

 35.1 

 22.8 

 - 1.1 

 -25.1 

 -38 6 



5a 



s 



4.5.0 

 52. 5 

 62.8 

 58.7 

 57.8 

 52.9 

 41.4 

 49.3 

 49.5 

 58.1 

 58.9 

 49.7 



