Backscatter observations of the mesosphere (62 86 km), using the 50 MHz coherent scatter radar at Jicamarca, Peru (12¿S, 77¿W), are analyzed to obtain tidal and prevailing wind components. The observation periods are four 48-hour intervals covering December 20-22, 1976, and April 11-13, July 15-17, and October 3-5, 1977. The effects of missing nighttime data on the 12-and 24-hour estimates are taken into account. The diurnal and semidiurnal tidal components appear to show an evanescent mode or higher order propagating modes superimposed on the main diurnal (1,1) mode and the main semidiurnal (2,2) mode, respectively. There are a few indications of complete phase reversal from one height to the next, indicating the presence of standing wave patterns. The diurnal tide amplitudes never realize the amplitude growth with height predicted by theory partly due to interference effects and other loss processes at work in the upper mesosphere.