126 TRANSACTIONS OF THE CANADIAN INSTITUTE. [VoL. V 



Upper Lakes, the rise being clearly attributable to unusually heavy pre- 

 cipitation. In 1874 Superior was a little higher, but a pronounced 

 deficiency of rainfall over the Lake Huron area caused that lake to 

 remain nearly stationary, notwithstanding the good inflow from Lake 

 Superior ; and the effect of the comparatively low water in Huron, com- 

 bined with a small precipitation over the drainage area of Ontario, is 

 clearly marked by the decided decrease in the level of Ontario. In 1875 

 Superior was still fairly high, and as the rainfall over the Huron area 

 was well up to average, that lake rose, but was still below mean level, 

 and Ontario, with a deficiency of rainfall, was also low. In 1876 the 

 Ontario level shewed the marked influence of high water in the Upper 

 Lakes. Superior was high, and this fact with a large precipitation 

 over the Lake Huron drainage area caused a marked rise and high 

 water on that lake also, and to this must be attributed the high water in 

 Ontario as over its drainage area the precipitation was only average. 

 Now followed four years of low water on Lake Superior which counter- 

 acted the effect of an above average precipitation over Lake Huron, 

 w^hich lake fell steadily in 1877 and 1878, and was low in 1879 and 1880. 

 On Lake Ontario while the level fell in 1877 with a small rainfall, in 

 1878 very heavy rains in the autumn produced an altogether abnor- 

 mally high winter stage, but in 1879 the level fell to decidedly low, 

 and in 1880 even a rainfall of four inches above average was unable 

 to counteract the effect of the low water in the Upper Lakes. Six 

 years now follow with Superior either average or a little below 

 average level and on Lake Huron a level steadily increasing from the 

 mean level to high water, clearly due to the precipitation being much 

 above average. The curve for Ontario during this period was some- 

 what similar to Huron, the level of the lake increasing from a low to a 

 decidedly high stage, and this during the first four years, notwithstanding 

 a deficiency of precipitation over the drainage area. ' Taking the last 

 period, from 1887 to date, we find that Superior during the first two 

 years was a little low, with a tendency to increase, then a very slowly 

 lowering stage until the spring of 1892, when the level was lower than at 

 any time since 1880. Next spring it reached the same mark, and then a 

 rise began, and in September 1895 the level was higher than at any 

 time since 1878. There was then low water in Lake Superior from 

 1887 to 1894, and this helped to lower Lake Huron, and the rainfall 

 over the Lake Huron drainage area was for the five consecutive years, 1887- 

 1891, and again in 1894 and 1895, much below average. We can now see 

 why Lake Huron is so decidedly low — it is due to Lake Superior having 

 been low for some years until 1894, combined with the efi"ect of an abnor- 

 mal deficiency of rainfall from 1887 until 1895, excepting the years 1892 



