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LIEUT.-COLONEL SYKES’S DISCUSSION OF METEOROLOGICAL 
thermometer in the same months in successive years exhibit very marked discre- 
pancies, althoug-h there are some differences; for instance, in February 1842 the 
range was 20°’8, and in February 1845 only 14°‘2. In April 1842 the range was 
22°‘0, and in April 1843 only 14°'8. It might have been expected that the greatest 
range, as at Bombay and Calcutta, would have occurred in the coldest months, and 
that the greatest discrepancies would have occurred in the comparisons of the same 
months in succeeding years, but such was not the case. The greatest monthly range 
in any month at Madras, twice occurred in the month of May in 1844 and 1845, 
namely, 25°‘9 and 25°‘6 respectively. The least range, 12°'5, took place in January 
1843. The annual ranges varied only from 27°’0 in 1843 to 37°‘l in 1844*. For 
Bombay I have only hourly readings of the thermometer for 1843 and 1844. The 
maximum heat twice occurred at noon, on the 11th of August and 6th of December; 
twice at 1 p.m., on 31st of March and 29th of April; five times at 2 p.m., and three 
times at 5 p.m. There is not any conformity in the times or dates of these maxima 
with those of the same year at Madras. A remarkable feature in the minimum daily 
heat at Bombay is the comparatively late period of the morning at which it took 
place. On the 4th of January the minimum heat was at 8 a.m., in five other months it 
occurred at 7 a.m., in two months at 6 a.m., and once only at 5 a.m. ; and entirely 
unlike the numerous instances at Madras, there is not a single case of the minimum 
heat falling before 5 a.m. in 1843. The greatest range of the thermometer was in the 
cold months and least in the monsoon ; the maximum, 19°‘3, was in January, and 
the minimum, 8°‘4, in August. The annual range for 1843 w'as 24°’4. In 1844 the 
chief feature is, that the minimum heat in the month occurred at midnight on the 
28th of August, and the minimum temperature occurred at 1 and 2 a.m. on the 22nd 
of July, as well as at 5 a.m. ; twice only the least heat occurred as late as 7 a.m. ; the 
maximum heat never occurred after 3 or before 1 p.m. The maximum heat was 91°'9 
and the minimum 64°'7, the annual range therefore 27°’2. The greatest monthly 
range was in February, 20°’75 th® least in August, 8°'5. The monthly ranges of 
the two years had a close correspondence. The maximum heat observed in the sun 
in Bombay was 142°'6 at 1 p.m., 10th of November 1846. 
Calcutta Range of Temperature. 
Hourly observations not having been taken at Calcutta, and the records of a maxi- 
mum and minimum thermometer having only appeared in the Asiatic Journal since 
June 1848, I can only give the range of temperature since that date; but I know 
nothing of the days or hours of record, excepting what is derived from a foot-note at 
page 550 of the Number of the Journal for June 1848. As at Bombay, the greatest 
monthly range was in the cold months and least in the monsoon months. Two 
* A memorandum just received gives the mean temperature of Madras for 1848 at 83°' 15 ; the maximum on 
the 20th of June 106°, at 3** 41™ p.m., and the minimum 63°-5 on January 26th, at 6** 41™ a.m. ; the annual 
range therefore was 42°’5. 
