116 On the Distribution of Rain in the Temperate Zone. 
In place of a sudden diminution in the quantity of rain like that 
on this side the Rocky mountains of America, there is only a grad ‘ 
ual change in the old ——— where the steep ranges do not 
come quite down to the west coast. To the rain-torrents which 
pour down along the foot of shies Sierra d’Estrella and made the 
siege of Coimbra under Don Miguel so tedious, there had been a 
parallel only in Norway where the mountains run down so sharp 
to the westward that the sea fills the transverse valleys, making 
them fiords, until lately the occurrence of that unheard of fall 
of rain which swept down in the neighborhood of the Cum- 
berland Lakes and excited such universal wonderment in Eng- ' 
and. They knew of course, that, as the captains in the North ; 
Sea ask one another if it rains in the mountains, soa traveller on 
the west coast of England enquired ee is ee it — 
rained there,” and got the quieting answer, “ 
snows but no one supposed that in enediah ated ‘ell "23 
inches of rain, in Gatesgarth 136, in Scathwaite 142. In Treland, 
this diminution of the quantity of rain on the west coast comes 
gradually; but here too, there is, as Lloyd has shown, a peculiar- 
ity depending on si position of the mountains with referenice to 
: the point where the observations are made: a range of mountal 
to the northeast having great influence, but little if to the soulbse 
west. Hence it is that we find in Cahirciveen 597-4, and in Port- 
arlington only 21”; for the former lies, like West Point with 
45-9, and Castlet ownsend: with 42 ‘5, on the SW side of high 
mountains, on the other side of which are Portarlington on the 
Slievebloom, just as Kellongh with 23”-2 on the NE of the 
Mourne Mts., although all these stations are right on the edge of 
the sea. This ditainttion-s is seen clearly in Prussia ; for the 30” 
of Cleve become 25” in Cologne, Bonn, Aachen ( Aix la Chap- 
elle), and Trier, 22” in Berlin, 19” in Posen. The Riesengebrigé 
of Silesia makes a dividing wall, which gives on the south side 
heavy showers, on the north side generally only inconsiderable — 
rains. ‘Thus the insignificant quantity of 14” in Prague becom 
33” in Hohenelb, and diminishes in Neisse to 16. Still mo 
remarkable is this fall in Russia; for the 17 English inches! 
Petersburg, Bohoslowsk and Slatoust, become 1a in Catharr 
burg and 11 in Barnaoul. Ajansk on the Sea of Ochotsk, with | 
35”, shows that here too the increase landward is condition iF 
