676 



REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AM) FISHERIES. 



[44] 



months, from the close of April to the end of July, elapse before the water 

 recovers from the effects of the winter temperature. At the bottom, in 

 100 fathoms, the temperature has been constantly about 6.4. It is fur- 

 ther evident from this table that the water has not begun to grow cool 

 before October, and also that the cooling has not occurred gradually, 

 but has been rather uniform throughout until the middle of December, 

 also that a somewhat shorter time is required to elfect the normal win- 

 ter condition — the coldest water at the surface and a gradually increasing 

 temperature towards the bottom — than is required in summer to produce 

 the opi)osite condition — tlie warmest water at the surface and a decreas- 

 ing temperature downward. After the middle of December the decrease 

 of temperature has been slower. The water has been warmest from the 

 middle of September to the beginning of October; the temperature dur- 

 ing this time has been uniformly between 10 and 11 degrees from the 

 surface down to a depth of 70 fathoms. The fact that the temperature 

 of the stratum of water lying between 30 and 70 fathoms increased so 

 considerably in the space of three weeks (;an only, so far as the upper- 

 most portion is concerned, be ascribed to the direct influence of the 

 warm water lying above it, if we admit that its greater saltness makes 

 it a better conductor of heat; but may certainly be explained more read- 

 ily by an afflux of warm water, ])robably from the shallow places in 

 Ofotfjord. 



Tablk XI All. 



MKAX IKMl-KKATLUE OK 



i " 



s 



I t 



10.7 

 11.5 



9.2 



.5. 8 5. 6 



.i.9 

 6.0 



«j.4 



10.2 

 12.4 



May: 



First half 2. 7 3. 3 3. 2 3. 2 3. 6 



Second half 8. 5 5. 8 5. 4. 4 4. 3 



June : 



First half 9. 3 



Second half 11.5 



Jnlv : 



First half ] 15.4 



Second half t 18.7 



A \i};n8t : 



First half 19. 4 



Second half 15. 1 : 12. 10.2 8.2 6.6 11. 



September : 



First half 11.6 



Second half 11.2 



October : 



Firsthalf ; 6.8 



Second half I 1.6 



November : I 



Firsthalf !— 1. 5 



Second half ' 0.6 



December : 



Firsthalf -2.4 5.0 5.2] 5.2 .i. 4 6.0 



Secondhalf 1.6 \ 4.0 



.Tkiiuarv : ' ' I '■ 



Firathalf 0.8 I 3.8 



10.7 

 8.7 



U.O 

 10.1 



10.7 

 9.0 



6. I 6. 3 



6.2 .... 



10.6 

 9.7 



8.1 

 7.1 



6. 2 6. 5 

 6. 1 6. 5 



10.6 

 9.8 



7.7 

 7.2 



