CLIMATE. 21 



the westerly being mild and rainy. The latter come to 

 us from an immense expanse of water preserving a high 

 and comparatively equal temperature. The former, blow- 

 ing off the continent of Europe, are frequently attended 

 with great cold in winter and spring ; and having little 

 moisture, they rapidly dry up and parch the soil. Hence 

 it happens that the eastern coasts, receiving the first im- 

 pression of the eastern winds, altogether partake more of 

 the continental climate * ; the counteracting influence of 

 the western winds being already much diminished by 

 their passage across the island, and the check from the 

 high western hills. This is particularly felt in England, 

 which has a much wider expanse of inland surface, and is 

 in part shielded from the full influence of the western 

 winds by the proximity of Ireland, as well as by the more 

 decidedly western position of the mountains. The con- 

 trary holds with respect to the western coasts, which 

 experience more fully the insular climate. 



a. Temperature. 



The conditions chiefly affecting the temperature of dif- 

 ferent parts of Britain are, the elevation above the sea 

 level, the latitude, and the geographical position, whether 

 eastern, inland, or western. Elevation and latitude ap- 

 pear more particularly to affect the ' general or mean 

 annual temperature ; the influence of position is more 

 evident in the distribution of heat through the seasons. 



Numerous records of observed temperature are scat- 

 tered through our periodical works devoted to natural 

 science. Unfortunately, many of these are liable to ob- 



* It is scarcely necessary to say, that a continental climate is dis- 

 tinguished from an insular climate by dryness ; and by the greater 

 extremes of heat and cold, in summer and winter, by day and by 

 night. The insular climate presents a greater approach to equality of 

 temperature ; is changeable, cloudy, and humid. 



