6 University of Michigan 



Table II. Temperatures at Fort Amsterdam, Willemstad, Curagao 

 from Jamoary, 1903, to June, 1921, inclusive^ 



Mean Monthly Mean Daily Range Extremes 



Cent. Fahr. Centigrade Fahr. Centigrade Falir. 



January 25.9 79 23.6-28.2 74-83 21.0-30.5 70-87 



February 25.9 79 23.7-28.2 75-83 21.0-30.5 70-87 



March 25.9 79 23.7-28.7 75-84 20.5-31.0 69-88 



April 26.8 80 24.5-28.7 76-84 21.0-31.5 70-89 



May 27.7 82 25.4-30.1 78-86 23.0-32.8 73-91 



June 27.7 82 25.6-29.9 78-86 22.4-32.0 72-90 



July 27.6 82 25.3-29.9 78-86 22.0-32.2 72-90 



August 26.7 80 25.7-30.3 78-87 21.0-32.5 70-90 



September 28.3 83 25.9-30.8 79-87 20.0-33.0 68-91 



October 28.0 82 25.6-30.4 78-87 21.0-33.0 70-91 



November 27.5 81 25.1-29.8 77-86 21.0-32.0 70-90 



December 26.5 80 24.2-28.8 76-84 21.5-32.3 71-90 



Annual 27.0 81 24.9-29.5 77-85 20.0-33.0 68-91 



usual rainy period of the higher West Indian islands and the 

 Venezuelan mainland comes between June and November. 

 But extreme variation is the most conspicuous feature ; less 

 rain may fall in one of the wet months than the mean precipi- 

 tation of the driest month. The rainfall of a single month 

 may be much greater than that of an extremely dry year; in 

 fact, it may be practically as great as the mean annual precipi- 

 tation. In addition, my own experience, and conversation 

 with the inhabitants, lead me to believe that the greater pro- 

 portion of the downfall comes in a few torrential deluges. 

 Attention also should be called to the fact that my study of 

 the islands was made during the dry season, but that the pre- 

 ceding year and the one of my visit (1921 and 1922) were wet 

 years (875 and 810 mm. rainfall, respectively, at Cas Chikitoe, 

 near Willemstad, Curasao). 



All of the recorded data come from near the towns. From 

 the vegetation, and the rainfall while I was on the islands, I 

 suspect that the vicinity of the higher hills receives a consider- 

 ably greater amount of precipitation, especially during the 



6 Not recorded from Feb. 11-17, 1905; Nov. 3-7, 1918; Sept. 1-23, 

 1904; Oct. 5-31, 1904; June and Sept., 1906; July and Sept. to Dec, 

 1919; Jan., 1020. 



