METEOROLOGY. 



For comparison of climate the three following places in these provinces may represent Forts 

 Kearney, Laramie, and Benton. 



Benton, Tagamog, latitude 47° 12' 



Kearney, Catherinoslaw, latitude 48° 20' 

 Laramie, Odessa, latitude 46'^ 29' 



Spring. 



46.6 

 46.5 

 45.7 



Summer. ! Autumn. 



70.2 

 70.3 

 70.1 



47.8 

 48.7 

 50.7 



Winter. 



22.3 

 19.6 

 27.4 



Year. 



46.8 

 46.3 



48.4 



No. years. 



16 

 10 



8 



No point in this region has winters so cold as those of Fort Garry, and the nearest approach 

 to its climate in Russia is found as far north as Kasau, on the Volga. Kasau, latitude 55° 48': 

 spring, 36.2; summer, 62.4; autumn, 36.9; winter, 6.3; year, 35.5; number of years, 10. 



In comparing the amount of moisture deposited in rain and melted snow the following places 

 are selected, there being no records of the places used in comparison of temperature : 



To represent Fort Kearney, Koursk, latitude 5P 44', four years' observations: spring, 5.57; 

 summer, 9.27; autumn, 4.02; winter, 1.95; year, 20.81. 



For Fort Laramie, Tiflis, latitude 41° 42', six years' observations: spring, 0.25; summer, 7.62; 

 autumn, 3.51; winter, 1.88; year, 19.26. 



For Fort Pierre, Simferopol, latitude 44° 57', five years' observations: spring, 3.22; summer, 

 6.01; autumn, 3.40; winter, 2.20; year, 14.83. 



For Fort Benton, Bakou, latitude 40.22, three years' observations; spring, 3.34; summer, 

 1.48 ; autumn, 3.07 ; winter, 4.32 ; year, 13.38. No point within the limits has so much pre- 

 cipitation as Fort Ridgley, but it comes nearest to Catania, in the fertile island of Sicily, or 

 parts of Prussia and Italy, but has a larger precipitation in spring and summer. Catania, 

 latitude 37.50, eight years' observations, has for spring, 7.29; summer, 0.03; autumn, 10.46; 

 winter, 9.75; year, 28.13. The record for Fort Benton being quite incomplete, further 

 observations will, doubtless, give it more moisture, approaching the mean for Fort Laramie, 

 if not exceeding it, since near the western coast more is deposited northward than southward. 



The data for European localities are copied from Bl edge it's Climatology, where Dove is given 

 as authority for most of them, and they may, therefore, be con.sidered very reliable. In 

 geological formation and soil the same remarkable similarity is apparent. "Mr. Haxthausen 

 divides the steppes geagnostically into five classes or formations : 



" 1. The calcareous tertiary formation predominates in Bessarabia, in Podolia, and in a small 

 part of the government of Kherson. 



" 2. Chalk forms the basis of the soil in the north, and embraces the steppes in the govern- 

 ments of Kharkow, Wosonige, Tanubow, part of the country of the Don Cossacks, and of the 

 government of Saratow. 



" 3. The granitic basis, which is derived from the Carpathians, extends along the Black sea 

 and the Sea of Azow, on to the Caucasus. 



" 4. The mud steppes extend on the southwest along the Kanhaw and the Terek. 

 " 5. The steppes with a saline basis extend on the east to the river Taik." 



Nos. 1 and 2 are precisely the tertiary and cretaceous formations which form nearly all the 

 plains of Nebraska, &c., west of the 98th meridian; No. 3 is found along the foot of the 

 mountains ; No. 4 is represented in the alluvial river bottoms ; and No. 5 occurs in scattered 

 situations in the western part of the Territor3^ Nebraska has also carboniferous limestones. 



