82 ANNUAL RECORD OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. 



the present condition of the labors that are in progress, look- 

 ing to the publication of works on the climatology of North 

 America, based on the data that have been accumulated by 

 him. With reference to temperature observations, it is stated 

 that they have been in charge of Mr. Schott, of the Coast Sur- 

 vey, and the first division of the work has been already sent 

 to press. This section consists of tables and discussions nec- 

 essary to reduce observations taken at different times of the 

 day to the true mean of the day. It includes general re- 

 marks on the explanation of the daily fluctuations of the 

 temperature, tables of sunrise and sunset,. Bessel's formulae 

 for representing the daily fluctuation, the variability of the 

 temperature at any hour as compared with the normal value 

 for that hour, and tables of the daily fluctuations of tempera- 

 ture, showing for each hour, month, and year the difference 

 between the observed and the mean temperature. Attention 

 is also called to the importance of obtaining observations on 

 the rate of increase of temperature as we descend into the 

 earth, a matter to which the British Association for the Ad- 

 vancement of Science has lately paid some attention. The 

 income of the Smithsonian has not permitted the expenditure 

 of much money upon this class of observations ; but it hopes 

 to secure the co-operation of interested volunteer observers. 

 Smithsonian Report, 1872, 40. 



CLIMATE OF ALASKA. 



The Service Monthly, in an interesting chapter upon Alaska, 

 gives a few items regarding the weather which will be of in- 

 terest to those who do not appreciate the peculiarities of that 

 climate. At Sitka the mean temperature of summer is 54, 

 and that of winter is 32, the latter being precisely the mean 

 of St. Louis, Missouri. In place of incessant hail and snow, 

 as is frequently erroneously supposed, rain falls throughout 

 the winter-season, and whatever snow falls soon disappears. 

 Not only do these thermal conditions exist at the capital 

 of Alaska, but a proportionally high temperature reigns 

 throughout the coasts beyond, and the influence of the ocean 

 currents extends even to Norton Sound, near the arctic circle. 

 In the Aleutian Islands the winters are somewhat colder, but 

 the temperature frequently remains above 35 until the 1st 

 of January. On Kodiak Islands the two most severe frosts 



