1895-9G.] ■ THE SEASONS, Hudson's sthait. 109 



somewhat the depth at the western entrance of the Strait, as frozen 

 ground was there found at a depth of 27 inches on July 17th, both 

 measurements being in sand well drained and well exposed to the sun. 



The average temperature for July at several points does not differ 

 much, being about 40° in the western end of the Strait and 42° else- 

 where, this being about 26" less than the average in Toronto. Fogs 

 are very much more frequent in July than at any other time of the year, 

 a total of 147 hours or about six whole days being recorded in 1896 at 

 Cape Prince of Wales. These fogs, however, do not very often extend 

 to the land, being confined mostly to the Strait where the warm winds 

 from the land are quickly cooled to the dew point by contact with the 

 ice. The number of hours of fog in the whole year 1885-86 was 606, 

 against 1992 hours in the Straits of Belle Isle. The rainfall for the 

 month of July was very small, being only .39 inch, or 2.61 inches less 

 than the average in Toronto, and although a greater rainfall was 

 recorded at other parts of the Strait, it was everyvvhere considerably 

 less than the Toronto average. Thunderstorms evidently seldom occur, 

 only two being noted during the year 1886. The average amount of 

 cloud is considerably less in the winter and more in the summer than in 

 Toronto, where the average for the year is slightly in excess. 



From the ist to about August 25th, when summer may be considered 

 as over, there is not apparently much increase in the temperature ; it is, 

 however, far more steady, frosts becoming much less frequent and the 

 range less ; nevertheless cold cloudy days occur, when all insect life 

 disappears as if b}' magic. The seeds of nearly all the plants collected 

 ripened early in x^ugust, and excepting two, the seeds of which were not 

 ripe until about September 5th, all had ripened by the last week in 

 August. By about the middle of the month it is probable all the young 

 of the birds breeding on the shores of the Strait were fledged, and a little 

 later several had doubtless gone southward as they were not again seen. 



The average temperature for August, 1896, was 43', or 23° less than the 

 average in Toronto. The direction of the wind was respectively between 

 N. and W. at Cape Prince of Wales, S. and W. at Cape Chudleigh, and 

 N. and E. at Nottingham Island. The rainfall generally was about 

 2.5 inches, or rather less than the average in Toronto, it being consider- 

 ably less at Stupart's Bay. 



The temperature of the sea averaging about 34" or 35° during the first 

 fifteen days of August, much of the remaining ice is doubtless melted, 

 and although the bays are often filled with drift, inore especially in the 

 western end of the Strait, there is not enough to affect the temperature 

 of the air, and this is doubtless the principal cause of the small range on 



