Diurnal Variation of Temperature. 219 
enough to justify its employment for places in this region 
where the number of daily observations is very much smaller, 
In order to show the relative as well as the absolute amount of 
residuals, I have appended the mean amplitude of the observed 
daily variation for each month. 
Finally I am quite ready to concede that, although the mean 
daily variation in Cordoba follows with much regularity the 
law expressed by a few terms dependent upon sines of angles 
proportional to the time of day, it is by no means improbable 
that in higher latitudes and different circumstances this may 
not be the case ; inasmuch as the simplicity of the law and its 
corresponding formula may there be essentially affected b 
perturbations which are not manifest here. et even in suc 
case it would be difficult to justify, either from a scientific or 
from any other point of view, such remarks as those cited at 
the beginning of this article. 
If the efforts of meteorologists to raise their study to the 
rank of an exact science are to attain that success for which the 
progress during recent years justifies a hope, this can only be 
accomplished through the aid of algebraic generalization. The 
requent misuse of a method affords no argument against its 
legitimate employment. 
the science from the descriptive to the exact stage. Yet even 
though this hope should prove unfounded, I cannot but think 
that he will perceive the very great injustice which he has done 
& needless waste of time and labor in deducing illusory results, 
I Shall not allow myself to be drawn into any personal consid- 
erations, 
t in any case, I must express the earnest hope that the 
comparatively modern usage of generalizing meteorological 
results to the utmost by means of algebraic formulas may 
Stimulated and encouraged in every way. 
Cordoba, Argentine Republic, November 9, 1879. 
