LUNAR INFLUENCE ON THE TEMPERATURE OF THE AIR. 199 



four following days (including in each case the day of the change) is as 



follows : — 



At New Moon 7"1 



At First Quarter 7*9 (the maximum). 



At Full Moon 6*9 



At Last Quarter 6'1 (the minimum). 



The mean amount of cloud for the first 14 days of the lunation is 7*3 ; /cr 

 the remaining 14 days, 6'4. 



The figures follow with great precision the course of the model curve and 

 also the curve of mean temperature for 1859. 



It will be well to recall attention to the principle of alternation and reci- 

 procity which so much affects the mean results of the moon's action. 



Many instances of the recurrence of high or low temperatures upon the 

 same day of the lunation were adduced at the Meeting at Leeds : the follow- 

 ing is an amended abstract of some of the more remarkable examples. 



In the two consecutive years commencing November 1846 and ending 

 October 1848, maximum or minimum temperatures for the month occurred, 

 in 1846-47, three times on the third day before new moon ; twice on the day- 

 after new moon ; three times on the third day after new moon ; twice on the 

 third day before full moon ; twice on the second day before full moon; and 

 twice on the third day after full moon. In 1847-48, twice on the third day 

 before new moon ; four times on the day of new moon ; twice on the second 

 day before full moon ; twice on the day before full moon ; twice on the day 

 of full moon ; twice on the third octant, or fourth day after full moon. Again, 

 in the year 1846-47 there were, amongst others, the following remarkable 

 instances of alternation between opposite phases of the moon : — in December 

 the minimum of the month occurred on the third day before new moon ; in 

 January the maximum on the third day before full moon ; in February the 

 minimum on the third day before new moon. And again, the maximum in 

 November 1 848 fell on the day of new moon ; the minimum in December 

 on the day of full moon. In addition to this, maximum and minimum tempe- 

 ratures were found to occur at intervals of rather more than seven days, and 

 that for several successive months, viz. April, May, June, August, and Sep- 

 tember, or at other lunar intervals. In 1838, exactly ten years earlier, maxima 

 or minima occurred twice on the third day after new moon ; three times on 

 the day before full moon ; three times on the day of first quarter; and three 

 times on the day of last quarter. At the Cape of Good Hope, reciprocity of 

 action and the recurrence of high and low temperatures was even more fre- 

 quent and systematic. Thus, in 1855, eight out of the twelve maxima for 

 the month occurred at first quarter, and nine of the twelve minima at new or 

 full moon. In 1842, nineteen maxima and minima out of twenty-four oc- 

 curred on eight days. In 184S, fifteen on seven days ; in 1844, seventeen on 

 six days ; in 1845, eleven on four days. The recurrence of maxima and 

 minima at Toronto and Madras was equally marked. 



On extracting the maximum and minimum mean temperatures for the 

 month, for the respective periods of 43 years at Greenwich, and 22 years 

 at Dublin, it was found that more maxima occurred after the moon's first 

 quarter than before; the proportion of maxima to minima, on the second day 

 after that phase, being more than 2 : 1 at both stations. So too on taking the 

 twelve highest maxima and thetwelvelowest minima at Greenwich for the same 

 forty- three years, 48 per cent, of the whole number were found to occur on 



