BIGELOW: COAST WATER EXPLORATION OF 1913. 239 



seven and ninety-eight fathom curves, below which it fell slowly to 

 42° at 229 fathoms, as illustrated by the following table, constructed 

 from Verrill's data. 



Line S 1/2 W from Marthas Vineyard, July 16, 1881. 



The absolute temperatures of 1881 closely parallel those of 1913, 

 i. e., Verrill found a bottom temperature of 52° at seventy-seven 

 fathoms, August 14, close to the location of Station 10061, where the 

 bottom reading was 51.5° in seventy-five fathoms. Near Station 

 10062 Verrill's bottom reading was 42° in forty-four fathoms, 43.6° 

 that of the Grampus in forty fathoms, fi\e days earlier in the season. 

 . The records for 1881 and 1913 are not directly comparable outside 

 the 100 fathom curve because the former were made six weeks later in 

 the season than the latter, at the one location visited in both years. 

 And the seasonal difference shows its effect in higher temperatures 

 for 1881. Thus, near Station 10064 Verrill's readings, September 8, 

 were 47.5° and 45° at 182 and 216 fathoms, depths at which the 

 temperatures, on July 11, 1913, were 45.7° and 43°. In October, 1881, 

 the Fish Hawk took a series of temperatures off Delaware Bay, 

 finding 51° on the bottom at about 100 fathoms (Verrill, 1882a; 

 Tanner, 1884b). And on November 16, of the same year, she found 

 the bottom temperature 56° in 31 fathoms, 55° in 56 fathoms and 

 48° in 157 fathoms, off Cape Charles (Tanner, 1884b). 



In 1882 the bottom water on the continental shelf was decidedly 

 colder than it was the year before (Tanner, 1884c; Verrill, 1882, 18S4a). 

 And even more important is the fact that Verrill found no trace of 

 the warm belt at 75-100 fathoms. On the contrary the bottom read- 

 ings grew colder and colder seaward from the seventy fathom curve, 

 as follows : — 



