422 TE3IPERATURES IN ECUADOR. appendix. 



from which it appears that the highest maximum (24° -0) of the entire twelve 

 months December 1879-November 1880, inclusive, occurred upon February 

 27th, and the lowest (20° '2) upon October 9th, the difference between the 

 highest and lowest maxima of the twelve months thus being only 3° -8 centi- 

 grade (=6° '84 Faht.). 



The Bulletin does not record a single occasion on which the freezing- 

 point was touched at Quito. The lowest minimum (3°. 5) of the entire 

 twelve months occurred on the 12th of August, and the highest (8°'0) upon 

 three days in May, their difference amounting to only 4° "5 C. (= 8°*1 Faht.). 



From inspection of the whole of the observations printed in the Bulletin, 

 it appears that October was the coldest and January was the warmest month 

 at Quito ; and that the difference of the means of these two months amounted 

 to less than 4° Faht. ! ^ 



The range of the entire year, that is to say, the difference between the 

 lowest minimum and the highest maximum, amounted at Quito to only 

 20° -5 C. (=36° -9 Faht.). 



Temperature at several of the towns at which we stopped in the interior 

 appeared to be influenced by position as well as by altitude. Thus, Machachi 

 (9839), although scarcely 500 feet higher than Quito, was found by us to be 

 a chilly place as compared with the capital. At the former place it was 

 seldom as warm as 60° Faht. at mid-day, while at Quito I noted a higher 

 temperature than this upon several occasions at 10 p.m. Ambato (8606) 

 though only 433 feet lower than Riobamba (9039), seemed to possess a cheer- 

 ful degree of warmth ; and the latter place, although less elevated, appeared 

 to be colder than Quito. At Ambato temperature ranged from 65-70° Faht. 

 at mid-day during our stay ; and our impression agreed with the opinion 

 current in the country that it is a warm place. Upon this account Ecua- 

 dorians come here from various parts when holiday-making. ^ 



The highest temperature in the shade that we experienced anywhere in 

 the interior, out of doors, was at the bottom of the ravine of Guallabamba 

 (6472) on March 27, 1880. This was 75° -5 Faht. The lowest recorded dur- 

 ing the whole journey was the minimum of the night of February 18, 1880, 

 near the summit of Cotopaxi, namely, 13° Faht. Upon several occasions 

 rapid changes of temperature occurred in a short space of time, the most 

 remarkable experience of this description being that which was referred to 

 in the chapter upon Antisana. This, as well as the temperatures observed 

 at other summits, has been dealt with elsewhere. 



Temperatures which will possess a wider interest are the nocturnal minima 

 observed at our camping-places, from their being the only recorded observa- 

 tions of this nature made at high elevations near the Equator. They are 

 brought together in the annexed table, arranged according to altitude, and 



1 The thermometric observations are made at Quito at 6 a m., 2 p.m., and 10 p.m. 

 The means referred to in the above paragraph are those of these three sets of observations. 

 I have reason to believe that the observations were not made at the Observatory, but at 

 a lower and more sheltered position at the extreme opposite end of the city. 



2 The temperatures quoted in this paragraph are indoor ones, but owing to the ill- 

 fitting windows and to the doors opening directly into the air they differ little from shade 

 temperatures out of doors. 



