89 



keeps day and night between 36° and 40°. Far 

 from the river we scarce find a few huras or 

 piper trees extend their foliage over thickets 

 destitute of verdure. This phenomenon seems 

 owing to the dryness of the air, which attains it's 

 maximum in the month of February ; and not, 

 as the European planters assert, " to the seasons 

 of Spain, of which the empire extends as far as 

 the torrid zone." It is only plants transported 



The 12th of Feb., at 22 in the morning, hygr. 37'8°, th. 25° : 

 at 3, hygr. 35°; th. 26 2 : at 11, hygr. 42 6°, th. 21-2°. 

 Hacienda de Cura (altitude 226 toises) . The 14th of Feb. 

 at 2, hygr. 352°, th. 27 5° : at 4, hygr. 34°, th. 281° : 

 at 5 h 34', hygr. 34 2°, th. 26'3° : at 7, hygr. 367°, 

 th. 25° : at 12, hygr. 39 5°. On the 15th of Feb. at 2 h 30', 

 hygr. 34*2°, th. 25°: at 11, hygr. 376°, th. 237°. 

 The 16th of Feb. at 18, hygr. 38*5°, th. 20° : at 21, hygr. 

 30*7°, th. 23*3°: at 3 h 30', hygr. 362°, th. 26 2°: at 9, 

 hygr. 37 6°, th. 233° : at 11, hygr. 38-6°, th. 22 7°. The 

 17th of Feb. at 19, hygr. 39T>°, th. 212° : at 1, hygr. 

 35°-2, th. 26 3° : at 12, hygr. 37'4°, th. 22-6°. The 19th 

 of Feb. at 4, hygr. 34°, th. 25-2° : at 12, hygr. 38*7°, th. 

 22-5°. During all these observations the sky was clear, 

 and without clouds. The mean humidity of the month of 

 February appeared to have been in the valleys of Aragua, 

 35°— 36° of Deluc, or 70*8°— 72° of Saussure, with a mean 

 temperature of 24*3°. These numbers indicate a consider- 

 able dryness, if we recollect the usual state of the hygrome- 

 ter between the tropics. (See chap, iii, vol. ii, p. 88—90.) 

 At Paris, and at Geneva, the humidity of the months, the 

 mean temperature of which reaches 18°, is above 82° of 

 Saussure. 



