In the low country, ingenuity has devised so many expedients for defence from the excessive heat of the forenoon, that the languor it induces is chiefly experienced after sunset, and the coolness of the night is insufficient to compensate for the exhaustion of the day; but, in Kandy, the nights are so cool that it is seldom that warm covering can be altogether dispensed with.  In the colder months, the daily range of the thermometer is considerable—­approaching 30 deg.; in the others, it differs little from 15 deg.  The average mean, however, of each month throughout the year is nearly identical, deviating only a degree from 76 deg., the mean annual temperature.[1]

[Footnote 1:  The following Table appeared in the Colombo Observer, and is valuable from the care taken by Mr. Caley in its preparation;

Analysis of the Climate at Peradenia, from 1851 to 1858 inclusive.

|Months.    |     Temperature.     |  Rainfall. |      Remarks.           |
|           |     |    |     |Aver-|    |Average|                         |
|           |Max. |Min.|Mean.|age  | In.|of     |                         |
|           |     |    |     | of  |    |Years /                          |
|           |     |    |     |Years|     \    /                           |
|January    |85.0 |52.5|74.06|6    |4.04  |6 |Fine, sunny, heavy dew at   |
|           |     |    |     |     |      |  |night, hot days, and cold   |
|           |     |    |     |     |      |  |nights and mornings.        |
|February   |87.75|55.0|75.76|7    |1.625 |6 |Fine, sunny, dewy nights,   |
|           |     |    |     |     |      |  |foggy mornings, days hot,   |
|           |     |    |     |     |      |  |nights and mornings cold.   |
|March      |89.5 |59.5|77.42|7    |3.669 |6 |Generally a very hot and    |
|           |     |    |     |     |      |  |oppressive month.           |
|April      |89.5 |67.5|77.91|7    |7.759 |6 |Showery, sultry, and        |
|           |     |    |     |     |      |  |   oppressive weather.      |
|May        |88.0 |66.0|77.7 |8    |8.022 |6 |Cloudy, windy, rainy;       |
|  monsoon generally changes.|
|June       |86.0 |71.0|76.69|8    |7.155 |6 |A very wet and stormy month.|
|July       |86.0 |67.0|75.64|8    |5.72  |6 |Ditto           ditto       |
|August     |85.5 |67.0|75.81|8    |8.55  |6 |Showery, but sometimes more |
|           |     |    |     |     |      |  |moderate, variable          |
|September  |85.5 |67.0|76.13|8    |6.318 |6 |Pretty dry weather, compared|
|           |     |    |     |     |      |  |with the next two months.   |
|October    |85.73|68.2|75.1 |8    |15.46 |6 |Wind variable, much rain.   |
|November   |84.0 |62.0|74.79|8    |14.732|6 |Wind variable, storms from  |
|           |     |    |     |     |      |  |all points of compass, wet; |
|           |     |    |     |     |      |  |monsoon generally changes.  |
|December   |82.75|57.0|74.05|7    |7.72  |5 |Sometimes wet, but generally|