A Lunar Period in the Rates of Evaporation and Rainfall!' 109 
Judging by the magnitude of the hourly variation, by the time at which the 
evaporation is greatest and least, and by the fact that there is only one 
maximum and minimum in the day, it is evident that the curve is not 
dependent upon the lunar atmospheric tide nor upon whatever small variation 
of wind velocity is generated by the tide. 
No useful purpose would be served by speculating further at this stage 
on the results arrived at in Tables VI and VII. For the present they can 
only be regarded as provisional. But it would be well if they could be 
tested by means of observations in some rainlesss area. Meanwhile I have 
begun the investigation of a second period of 120 months' observations, 
albeit without any great expectation of completing it within any short time 
to come. 
8 
