46 



REPORT — 1844. 



of January the wind from the east and north-east prevails in Europe, bring- 

 ing with it our severest winter cold. This feature has not a parallel in North 

 America, where the cold of winter is more equably distributed. It would 

 occupy too much time to discuss the cause of this peculiarity in the European 

 climate ; and I must content myself with referring generally to M. Dove's 

 elaborate work on the distribution of temperature ; a work which cannot fail 

 to impress the reader strongly with the value of the conclusions to be derived 

 from long-continued series of observations subjected to a laborious and per- 

 severing study. It is a curious result from this excess of cold in Europe in 

 January, that notwithstanding the greater proportional warmth in summer 

 and cold in spring at Toronto, the extreme difference, or that between the 

 coldest and the warmest month of the year, is absolutely greater at Prague 

 than at Toronto, being 41°-2 at Prague and 39°'5 at Toronto. 



It is a consequence of the minor differences already pointed out, that a 

 temperature equal to that of the mean temperature of the year occurs later 

 in spring and earlier in autumn at Toronto than at Prague ; and that the tem- 

 perature is higher than the mean of the year during seven months at Prague, 

 whilst at Toronto it is only so during five months. 



I have inserted in the next table the mean raii</e of the thermometer during 

 three years at Toronto and at Prague. It must be understood that the 

 maximum of each month inserted in this table is the mea7i maximum during 

 three years ; viz. March 1840 to March 1843 at Toronto ; July 1839 to July 

 1842 at Prague; and the same is to be understood of the minimum: the 

 range is consequently a meati range during three years, and is of course ex- 

 ceeded by the range in individual years. 



Range of the Temperature in different Months. 



* The thermometer ranged much lower in Januaiy 1840, before the commencement of 

 the series under notice, \iz. — 



January 2nd - 17-5 January 15th - 8-5 



„ 3rd - 9-2 „ 16th - 150 



„ 4th - 10-0 „ 17th - 19-2 lowest observation. 



