14 



VARTATION OF TEMPERATURE 



as would be desirable, yet every precaution seems to have been taken by those who had 

 the general direction of thcrn, to secure accurate results. Each observer is required to con- 

 form to the rules laid down, and to certify under oath to the accuracy of his observations. 

 I have attempted to deduce the law from these data ; and though some anomalies may 

 be noticed, yet the result on the whole is as satisfactory as could be expected. I have 

 included also a series of observations taken at Williams College, just out of the limits of 

 the State, not more than two or tliree miles from the line. In prosecuting the investiga- 

 tion, I have compared places two by two having nearly the same latitude but different 

 elevations. In some cases where the latitudes differed too much, I have compared one 

 place with the mean between two or three others. For example, I compared the tempe- 

 rature of Canajoliarie, whose latitude is 42° SS', with the mean of the temperatures of 

 Cazenovia, Bridgwater and Hamilton, whose mean latitude is also 42° 53'. In making 

 the comparison, I have uniformly employed the mean temperature of those years only in 

 whicli they were reported from both the places compared. The following table shows 

 the result : 



LOVTER 

 STATU l.V. 



Kinderhook . . 



Albany 



Albany 



Lansinghiivgh 

 Lansingbur^li 

 Canajohai ie . . 



Canajoharie . . 



Utica . . 



Auburn 



Ithacat 



Itliaca, 



Aurora 



Belleville 



Lewiston 



UPPER 

 STATION. 



Oxford 



Hartwick 



Williams College* 



Cherry-valley 



Cherry-valley .... 

 Cazenovia, J 

 Bridgwater, > . . . 

 Hamilton, j 



F"airfield 



Pompey 



O.xford 



Homer 



LowA-ille 



Rochester 



No. of years 

 compaied. 



12 

 11 



12 & 13 



13 

 3 



3, 2 &. 3 



13 



14 



4 



8 & 5 



6 

 9 



* Elevation eslim^ttcd. t The year 1837 omitted, on account of a supposed error in the record. 



:i 



The tahle shows very clearly that elevation exerts a perceptible influence on the tempe- 

 rature, though with considerable apparent irregularity. Perfect uniformity could not be 

 expected, and perhaps the deviation from a regular law is not greater than would natu- 

 rally result from the different exposure of the thermometers at the different localities, and 

 other accidental circumstances. In no instance where the difference in the level of two 

 places amounted to 300 feet or more, and where the latitude of both was nearly the same, 

 have I found the mean temperature of the lower station to be less than that of the upper. 

 Utica, as compared with Fairfield, was an exception during the )'ears 1831 to 1837, but not 

 for the whole thirteen years embraced in the table. 



