Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 137 



phenomena, leaving the gentler or less obvious processes pass by 

 unobserved. The method of periodical observations on the other 

 hand is likely to present weather as a series of disconnected events, 

 to ignore even important intervening phenomena, and to force into 

 prominence unimportant and insignificant details. 



Moreover, so far as minor weather events are concerned, the 

 position of the observer in regard to the lake is of importance. In 

 the sheltered location of the cottage just below Arlington, where 

 many of the observations were made, it would be difficult to ap- 

 preciate the force and keenness of west and northwest winds, 

 though the position of elevated vanes would show well enough in 

 which direction the wind was blowing; on the other hand, the 

 slightest northeast, east, south or southeast wind would be im- 

 mediately manifest. At Long Point, on the other hand, where 

 many of the observations were taken, one was protected and kept 

 from a full realization of the force of southeast and southerly 

 winds. Even with insti'uments which gave unbiased records, a 

 wind on the leeward side of the lake would give somewhat different 

 effects than the same wind after it had passed to the windward side 

 and had been tempered by the water surface ; a dry wind taking up 

 some moisture and a hot wind losing some of its heat. 



As a basis for the wind record, where only the journal method 

 was used, this has been of necessity the basis for calculation. 

 Where three daily observations were made, these have been used 

 for the basis, but have been so modified by the journal records that 

 the number of records for each month is exceedingly variable; 

 winds shown by the journal as having occurred between observa- 

 tion periods have been counted in, while on the other hand when 

 the records show the same wind to have continued throughout sev- 

 eral periods of observation the records have been fused into one 

 count so that the number of observations for any one month is 

 usually more or fewer than 93, generally fewer. 



A prominent feature of IMaxinkuckee weather is the frequent 

 occurrence of light, fitful breezes that last for only a short time 

 and die away, winds that do not belong to the general weather of 

 the country but are purely local phenomena. That such should 

 be the case could naturally be expected from the nature of the 

 country, for we have closely juxtaposed on a small scale as high a 

 "difference of potential", to use an electrical phrase, as could well 

 be imagined : a lake of considerable depth and withal spring-fed, 

 so that the mass of water does not heat up like shallow ponds, but 

 remains comparatively cool, and, not a great way to the west. 



