F. GEOGKAPHY. 219 



tical with that of the deeper waters of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, 

 and agrees very, closely with that found on muddy bottoms, 

 and at similar depths, on the coasts of Greenland, Finmark, 

 and Norway. He also presents additional generalizations as 

 follows : 



Sixth, the deepest dredging, in 430 fathoms, was outside 

 of the George's Banks, on the slope of the actual continental 

 border, and within the limits of the true Atlantic " basin." 

 The fauna there is especially rich and varied, decidedly north- 

 ern in character, and agrees closely with that of similar lo- 

 calities and depths on the European side. The animals were 

 mostly such as inhabit bottoms swept by strong currents in 

 the Bay of Fundy. 



Seventh, every where over the Banks, and especially on the 

 southern slopes, the difference between the bottom and sur- 

 face temperature amounts to from 15 to 20, or even more; 

 the surface temperature being usually from 60 to 72. The 

 temperature of the air was very near that of the water, gen- 

 erally one or two degrees higher. 



Eighth, no such contrast of temperature was found inside 

 of the Banks in the George's Gulf or the Bay of Fundy ; the 

 difference seldom being more than ten degrees, and often, es- 

 pecially in the Bay of Fundy, less than five. The surface 

 temperature at corresponding dates in the Bay of Fundy 

 was 48 to 53, showing an average difference of about 20 

 for the surface temperature in the two regions, while the 

 average bottom temperatures do not appear to differ ma- 

 terially. 



Ninth, the high surface temperature of the Banks is evi- 

 dently due chiefly to the direct influence of the Gulf Stream. 



Tenth, the very low surface temperature of the Bay of 

 Fundy is largely due to its geographical position, and the ab- 

 sence of any appreciable influence from the Gulf Stream, but 

 is no doubt intensified by the powerful tides, which are con- 

 stantly mixing the cold bottom water with that of the sur- 

 face. 



The facts hitherto observed do not seem to warrant the as- 

 sumption that an " arctic current," properly so called, as dis- 

 tinguished from the tidal currents, enters the George's Gulf 

 or the Bay of Fundy. The action of the tidal currents in 

 bringing up the cold bottom waters of the ocean is perhaps a 



