MISCELLANEOUS NOTICES, &C, 
xlv 
The mean of Captain Davis* 80.2, of mine 80 4, difference 
0.2, whilst the Doctor makes them differ by 2°.5 and with these 
dreadful increments of temperature the Doctor weeps over 
the probability of Singapore becoming insupportable, as if 
that could ever be possible, at least I should like to be or¬ 
dered to remain there until I found it so, I have left out 
J844 and 1845 for obvious reasons which I will explain 
hereafter. 
The building in which the observations were taken, will 
best be explained by the following ground plan. It was 56 
N 
c 
b 
a 
d 
h 
e T Bp 
0 
k l 
m 
/ 
9 
w 
feet in length, by 2S feet in breadth, divided by a parti¬ 
tion wall running the whole length. The longer sides faced 
North and South—the shortest the East and West. In the 
by cooling” (Prof Forbes), and hence a screen which absorbs the sun's heat 
during the 12 hours the sun is above the horuon here without affecting a 
thermometer placed below it, will not cool down to the temperature of ilie 
external air during the succeeding 12 hours. Prof. Forbes, in another of his 
Meteorological Reports, observes that “from the near contact in which 
thermometers are generally placed wish large difficulty conducting masses, 
such as walls, the temperature during the night is kept up, and the minima 
are thus too high ” (Reports, Brit Association Vol Ip 210). Scientific 
men will best judge how far this source of error wat avoided in the construc¬ 
tion of the Singapore Magnetic Observatory, as explained by our correspond¬ 
ent further on. We fear they will be unanimous in their opinion that such a 
building, with a circulation of air so impeded, could never have its internal 
temperature lowered to the minimum -of the atmosphere without. It our 
correspondent, with all his science and skill, has failed in constructing a 
perfect observatory, the true conclusion probably is that this is an impossibi¬ 
lity, unless we disconnect the Day from the Night Observatory, or at least 
have two positions for the instrument, one under the thick, badly conducting 
sun-screen for the day, and one under a thin sky screen for the night.— Ed, 
