STHAITS METEOROLOGY. 253 



two generations; the experience of the first generation was sum- 

 med up by Mr. Craweurd in 1855 with the following statement 

 (Descriptive Dictionary p. 396) : — 



" (a) January is the wettest and coldest month of the year. 



" (b) The average rainfall in " a series of years " is 92.69. 



" (c) The mean temperature is 81.21 and the range from the 

 " mean of the hottest month to that of the coldest is 2.76 only. 



" (d) Comparing this with the temperature that was ascertained 

 " in the infancy of the Settlement, it would appear that it has 

 " increased (1855) by 2.18, a fact ascribable, no doubt, to the increase 

 " of buildings, and to the country haying been cleared of forests 

 " for several miles inland from town, the site of the observations." 



A similar summary could most usefully be prepared in 1885 for 

 comparison and record. 



The most interesting question of all for our meteorologists is 

 that with which this paper commenced — the question whether we 

 have here recurring periods of drought and rain, due to. sun-spots 

 or magnetic influence of some kind. If there is any such period due 

 to solar influence, why, compared with that influence, even the 

 " monsoon " shrinks into a " local " cause, and becomes of com- 

 paratively little importance. Mr. Wheatley did not like " to 

 " hazard, even by guessing, a rule by which the rainfall of Singa- 

 " pore can be calculated upon." But the Tables he published show 

 that in fact the period of 10| to 11 years, and the subsidiary period 

 of about 5 years, are peculiarly well-marked in Singapore. Take 

 his figures in Tables VII and VIII, for example : the total num- 

 bers of dry days for the 17 years 1864-80 are given for each month 

 the annual totals being as follows : — ■ 



1864, 19 



1870, 



15 



1876, 



11 



1865, 12 



1871, 



7 



1877, 



11 



1866, 18 



1872, 



13 



1878, 



9 



1867, 23 



1873, 



11 



1879, 



7 



1868, 13 



1874, 



9 



1880, 



8 



1869, 9 



1875, 



10 







