The dependence of the temperature of a nucleus on its excitation energy was found to be different in experiments made at GSI and by the EOS collaboration. Measurements for nuclei with nearly constant masses were conducted at GANIL by the INDRA collaboration on the reactions 129 Xe + 119 Sn at 50 MeV/u and 36 Ar+ 58 Ni from 52 to 95 MeV/u. The quasi-projectiles were reconstructed from peripheral to central collisions (excitation energies up to 20 MeV/nucleon). Three methods were used for obtaining the apparent temperatures: kinetic energy distribution of light particles, double ratios of isotopic yields, relative populations of excited states. The first two methods exhibit steady increases of the temperature with excitation energy, but the values are very different. Two statistical models, taking into account the detailed energy level structure of decaying primary fragments, can explain these differences. The relationship between the initial temperature and excitation energy does not exhibit any discontinuity of the caloric capacity: the liquid-gas phase transition is gradual.PACS 25.70.Mn -Projectile and target fragmentation. PACS 24.10.Pa -Thermal and statistical model.