CLIMATE. 83 



" One of the first questions of interest, in comparing obser- 

 vations after such an interval, would be, to trace the occur- 

 rence of any marked change in the mean temperature, at the 

 place of observation. For the causes we have mentioned, these 

 observations are not sufficient to prove this fact. From a 

 comparison of the whole series, (supposing them of equaj 

 value), there would appear to have been, a diminution of the 

 mean maximum temperature by more than five degrees, 

 accompanied by a slight decrease, also, in the mean minimum 

 temperature, (not more than 1°.) But these are quite within 

 the limits of error of the observations. 



" Disregarding minor differences, the most striking fact, 

 proved by the concurrence of all the observations, is, the very 

 remarkahle equability of the climate at Ootacamund. The 

 peculiar position of that station, placed at a considerable 

 elevation between two great seas, and subject therefore to 

 the equalizing influence of both, the Bay of Bengal on one 

 side, and the Indian Ocean on the other, would, a priori^ 

 have led us to anticipate, that the climatal conditions would be 

 insular, rather than continental, that the extremes would be 

 moderated, and, that the great variations, observable in other 

 places, within the intertropical limits, would be less marked 

 here, and these observations fully confirm this view. 



" The range of the temperature of the air, during the hottest 

 hours of the day, or at its maximum, throughout the whole 

 year, appears to be, not quite 9 degrees, at the coldest hours 

 of the night ; or, at the minimum, only 9°-15 degrees ; that 

 is, the hottest hours of the day, whether in summer or in 

 the depth of winter, do not vary more than nine degrees. 

 The extreme variation from the hottest day temperature, 

 to the coldest night temperature, during the whole year, 

 (average of 7 years) was only 21°*25. 

 M 2 



