THE ANTI-TRADES OR PASSAGE WINDS. 



175 



1. Between 5" and 35^ W., in doubled per-centages. 



In the Eastern parts of the Atlantic, therefore, the distribution of the 

 winds in autumn agrees for the most part with the yearly mean, whilst 

 the absolute differences are greatest in spring and summer. In winter and 

 summer we find fewer East winds, but more Westerly winds, than in the 

 yearly mean ; but S.W. to N.W. winds are more especially prevalent in 

 summer than in the year generally, and the preponderance of the N.W. 

 winds still continues in autumn. On the other hand, we find in spring a 

 strong set of cold Eastei'ly, i.e., continental winds from the Steppes towards 

 the ocean, and the S.W. to N.W. winds must give way to them. This is a 

 detailed confirmation of our above generalizations as to the causes of the 

 N.W. winds in summer. If the sea gets thoroughly warmed in summer, 

 we then have frequent calms near the Channel. 



2. Between 35° and 55" W., in doubled per-centages. 



The small numerical differences in winter and spring are very striking, 

 whilst in summer they are exceedingly high, and in autumn moderate ; on 

 the whole, however, they are smaller than between 5° and 35° W. The 

 change of the sign is about the same as before, but it is to be remarked 

 that in summer the N.W. and North winds are, relatively, extremely rare, 

 compared with the South to West winds, whilst in autumn exactly the 

 reverse takes place. The prevalence of Easterly winds in spring and 

 autumn, which was exhibited between 5° and 35° W., is no longer trace- 

 able; these winds have exhausted themselves, i.e., generally speaking (for, 

 e.g., in February, 1870, our steamers encountered, in 48° W., the East 

 wind which had come from 60° E., and brought the most severe winter 

 cold over central Germany, which was, by the way, a propagation in a 

 straight hrue of an Easterly gale, which the advocates of the Cyclone 

 theory have not yet explained) ; at the best, the N.E. only occurs some- 



