THE CLIMATE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 275 



as by the frequent presence of large quantities of 

 aqueous vapour in the atmosphere. Skies, even, which 

 we in England consider clear, are overcast compared 

 with the deep-blue skies of France or Italy. What the 

 influence of these humid palls may be ' on the out-flow 

 of moral sentiments ' which Humboldt considered to be 

 so favourably influenced by transparent skies, I shall 

 not here pause to inquire. It is clear, however, that 

 the influence of our cloudy skies tends to modify the 

 severity both of our winter and our summer seasons ; 

 and these benefits are so great that we may cheerfully 

 accept them as more than a counterpoise for hypo- 

 thetical injurious effects on ' the outflow of our moral 

 sentiments ' (whatever that may mean). 



I proceed to consider the actual variations presented 

 in the course of a year in England. As some selection 

 must be made, I shall select a series of observations 

 which have been made at Greenwich during the present 

 century. It will be gathered from the preceding 

 pages that the range of temperature at Greenwich is at 

 least not less than the average range of the British 

 Isles. Greenwich, also, from its neighbourhood to 

 London, and from the number and accuracy of the 

 observations made there, is obviously the best selection 

 that could be made. It must not be forgotten, how- 

 ever, that the climate of Greenwich is not the climate 

 of the British Isles, and that careful observations made 

 in other places have sufficiently indicated the existence 

 of local peculiarities, which, therefore, it may fairly be 

 assumed, characterise also the Greenwich indications. 



T 2 



