4 



TEOPICAL NATURE, AND OTHER ESSAYS. 



Eahr., while it seldom falls during the night below 74° 

 Fahr. It has been found by hourly observations car- 

 ried on for three years at the meteorological observatory 

 established by the Dutch government at Batavia, that 

 the extreme range of temperature in that period was 

 only 27° Fahr., the maximum being 95° and the mini- 

 mum 68°. But this is, of course, very much beyond 

 the usual daily range of the thermometer, which is, on 

 the average, only a little more than 11° Fahr. ; being 

 12*6° in September when it is greatest, and only 8*1° in 

 January, when it is least. 



Batavia, being situated between six and seven degrees 

 south of the equator, may be taken as affording a fair 

 example of the climate of the equatorial zone ; though, 

 being in an island, it is somewhat less extreme than 

 many continental localities. Observations made at Para, 

 which is continental and close to the equator, agree how- 

 ever very closely with those at Batavia ; but at the 

 latter place all the observations were made with 

 extreme care and with the best instruments, and are 

 therefore preferred as being thoroughly trustworthy.^ 

 The accompanying diagram, showing by curves the 

 monthly means of the highest and lowest daily tempera- 

 tures at Batavia and London, is very instructive ; more 

 especially when we consider that the maximum of 

 temperature is by no means remarkably different in the 

 two places, 90° Fahr. being sometimes reached with us 

 and not being often very much exceeded at Batavia. 



1 " Observations Made at the Magnetical and Meteorological Observatory 

 at Batavia. Published by order of the Government of Netherlands India. 

 Vol. I. Meteorological, from Jan. 1866 to Dec. 1868 ; and Magnetical, from 

 July 1867 to June 1870. By Dr. P. A. Bergsma. Batavia, 1871." This 

 fine work is entirely in English. 



