20 



NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA. 



[NO. -1 



Summaries of temperatures taken at Athabaska Landing, Alberta, during the 



year 1900. 



January 



February.. 



March 



April 



May 



June 



July 



August 



September. 



October 



November. 

 December.. 



Month. 



Mean daily 

 maximum. 



Mean daily 

 minimum. 



Extremes 



Maximum. Minimum 



Monthly 

 mean. 



54.7 

 68.7 

 68.9 

 72.4 

 67.9 

 57.9 

 49.0 

 22.9 

 23.3 



27.4 

 38.5 

 43.6 

 12.1 

 40.3 

 29.2 

 22.2 



- -2.1 



- 5.9 



75.0 

 78.0 

 85.0 

 84.0 

 81.0 

 78.0 

 67.0 

 54.0 

 45.0 



13.0 

 28.0 

 29.0 

 2S.0 

 27.0 

 13.0 

 8.0 

 —37.8 

 —27.6 



41.1 

 53.6 

 56.2 



57.2 

 54.1 

 43.6 

 35.6 

 10.3 

 8.7 



In this table the figures for the first three months are not available, 

 but this lack may be atoned for in a measure by presenting the cor- 

 responding figures for Edmonton, on the Saskatchewan, about 90 

 miles almost directly south of Athabaska Landing, though the former 

 locality, being more southern and considerably nearer the mountains, 

 is seen to have a slightly warmer climate. 



Summaries of temperatures taken at Edmonton, Alberta, during the year 11)00, 



Month. 



January 



February.. 



March 



April 



May 



June 



July 



August 



September. 



October 



November- 

 December. _ 



Year. 



Mean daily 

 maximum. 



27.0 

 16.0 

 30.7 

 57.7 

 68.7 

 70.7 

 71.7 

 67.0 

 59.7 

 49.4 

 29.9 

 31.8 



Mean daily 

 minimum. 



7.2 

 - 4.9 



9.1 

 35.1 

 42.6 

 48.0' 

 47.2 

 45.2 

 36.9 

 31.4 

 13.6 

 14.5 



Extremes. 



Maximum. Minimum 



48.0 

 40.0 

 55.0 

 78.0 

 78.0 

 86.0 

 82.0 

 80.0 

 76.0 

 68.0 

 62.0 

 44.0 



86.0 



-30.0 

 -40.0 

 -20.0 

 26.0 

 32.5 

 37.0 

 38.0 

 33.0 

 12.0 

 22.0 

 -16.0 

 - 9.5 



Monthly 

 mean. 



17.1 

 5 . 5 

 19.9 

 46.4 

 .v.. 7 

 59.3 

 59.4 

 56.1 

 48.3 

 in. 4 

 21.7 

 23.1 



37.7 



The climate of the lower Athabaska may be fairly represented by 

 the data for Fort Chipewyan, given on a succeeding page. 



As intimately connected with the climatology of a region, data re- 

 garding the freezing and breaking up of the rivers are of interest. 

 In all northern rivers navigation is interrupted, before the actual 

 closing of the stream, by drift ice. This is mainly ice which has 

 formed in the eddies and which, by a slight rise of water, the usual 

 result of its formation, or from the accumulation of snow upon it, 

 becomes detached and descends the current, continually adding to its 

 own volume. This continues until the increasing cold causes the 

 mass to jam and become solidly cemented. After the breaking up of 

 the rivers in spring the ice, of course, continues to run for a longer or 

 shorter period. 



