1874.] On some Thermometric Observations in the Alps. 317 



REMARKS. 



Dec. 18, 1873. For a second series of 15 on this day no first effect was found. 



Jan. 15, 1874. There was a sudden change of the current during the experiments, to 

 which the unusually small effect is most likely due. 



Jan. 16. There was a sudden change of the current during the experiments, to which 

 the unusually large effect is most likely due. 



Jan. 17. There was an irregularity at the beginning of the experiment. 



Jan. 20. Action somewhat irregular. 



Jan. 22. There seemed to be a first effect of the current on itself in the opposite 

 direction, 0-14-9. 



Jan. 26. There seemed to be again a first effect in opposite direction, 047 57. 



Jan. 27. Ditto Ditto 0-17-17. 



Jan. 28. The action was very irregular. 



Jan. 29. It is suspected that during the experiments from Jan. 29 to Feb. 12 the con- 

 tact at the key was not very good. 



Feb. 3. The action was very irregular. 



Feb. 4. There seemed to be two first effects of the current upon itself in the direction 

 of increased resistance. 



Feb. 5. The action was very irregular. 



Feb. 6. There seemed to be a first effect of decreased resistance of current upon itself. 



Feb. 11. The wires had been broken since Feb. 6th. 



Feb. 12. One of the wires had got between the pole and the core of the magnet. 



Feb. 24. After the first on (2) the magnet was always put on (1). 



II. " Note on some Winter Thermometric Observations in the 

 Alps/' By E. FRANKLAND, F.R.S. 



During the past winter, I spent a fortnight at the village of Davos, 

 Canton Graubiinden, Switzerland, and had thus an opportunity of 

 experiencing some of the remarkable peculiarities of the climate of the 

 elevated valley (the Prattigau) in which Davos is situated. The village 

 has of late acquired considerable repute as a climatic sanitarium for 

 persons suffering from diseases of the chest. So rapidly has its reputa- 

 tion grown, that while in the winter of 1865-66 only eight patients 

 resided there, during the past season upwards of three hundred have 

 wintered in the valley. 



The summer climate of Davos is very similar to that of Pontresina and 

 St. Moritz, in the neighbouring high valley of the Engadin cool and 

 rather windy ; but so soon as the Prattigau and surrounding mountains 

 become thickly and, for the winter, permanently covered with snow, 

 which usually happens in November, a new set of conditions come into 

 play and the winter climate becomes exceedingly remarkable. The sky 

 is, as a rule, cloudless or nearly so ; and, as the solar rays, though very 

 powerful, are incompetent to melt the snow, they have little effect upon 

 the temperature, either of the valley or its enclosing mountains ; conse- 

 quently there are no currents of heated air ; and, as the valley is well 

 sheltered from more general atmospheric movements, an almost uniform 

 calm prevails until the snow melts in spring. 



