540 



made after sunset, during the end of the last and beginning 

 of the present month. They were made by holding the in- 

 strument outside the attic windows, front and rear. 



" From these it appeared that the refrigeration of both 

 aspects was equal in only one instance ; that it was greatest 

 at the east, 'in three instances; but that, on the average, the 

 cold of the west aspect was to that of the east nearly as 5 to 4, 

 and that this difference appeared to increase after sunset. 



"Another series of observations made for me at Monks- 

 town, and confined to the one spot, shows how great a discre- 

 pancy may be between the indications of the thermometer and 

 the cold produced by the air on a body heated up to our tem- 

 perature. Thus, on the 8th of January, the temperature being 

 41°, the instrument required 40" for cooling; and on the 9th, 

 the temperature being the same, it cooled in 17^", that is, in 

 less than half the time : showing a refrigeration of twice the 

 power. This may be explained by the damp strong breeze in 

 the latter case, and the almost calm clear atmosphere in the 

 other ; but those are the states of the atmosphere in which we 

 are most interested, and on the effects of which much of our 

 health and comfort must always depend. 



" It will be observed how we often suffer more severely 

 from cold when the temperatm-e is a little above than when 

 below the freezing point, in consequence of the presence of 

 moisture in the former case causing increase of conducting 

 power. To this may be ascribed the gi-eater cold so often felt 

 in this climate than in continental localities, even when the 

 temperature is many degrees below freezing point. 



" If the Committee shall be of opinion that the refri- 

 gerating effects of climate in various parts of Ireland shall be 

 investigated in the manner I have ventured to propose, I can- 

 not refrain from anticipating much useful and much hitherto 

 unexpected information to result; and, taken in connexion with 

 then other meteorological researches, I should hope that in this 



