PHYSICAL OCEANOGEAPHY OF THE GULF OF MAINE 887 



(fig. 174), SO that a set in this direction is to be expected in the southern side of 

 the gulf in summer. 



The measurements taken of the currents in the region of Georges Bank 

 (p. 865; fig. 173) suggest that tliis group of bottles held to the northward of the shoal 

 part of Georges Bank (Georges and the Cultivator Shoals) in their journey, and 

 that a separation of the tracks evidently occurred to the eastward of the latter, some 

 of the bottles then veering southward across the eastern side of Georges Bank, where 

 one was recovered from each year's series (1922 and 1923) 96 and 59 days, respectively, 

 after release. 



The two bottles (one from each year's series) that went from close to Cape Cod 

 to Europe (one to France, the other to Ireland, after a year's journey) probably 

 followed much this same route, continuing on out to sea until they came within the 

 influence of the general North Atlantic drift. Bottle No. 543, which was set out in 

 the South Channel on July 7, 1922, and picked up just south of Georges Shoal 35 

 days later, was probably caught up in the tidal circulation over that shoal ground. 



These Georges Bank drifts are good evidence that the bottles that went to the 

 Bay of Fundy from the tv/o Cape Cod lines (B and G; figs. 174 and 176) likewise 

 skirted the northern side of the banks, continuing eastward until they became 

 involved in the current setting northward into the eastern side of the gulf, which 

 has been developed by Mavor (1922) from Dawson's measurements of currents 

 (p. 861; fig. 173). The Bay of Fundy would then be their most likely destination; 

 and the fact that they stranded on its Nova Scotian shore, just as did several of the 

 bottles that Mavor set out at the mouth of the bay in 1919 (p. 868; Mavor, 1922), 

 makes it likely that they, too, drifted in close along its southern side. 



The three bottles that drifted from the offing of Cape Cod (line B) to the Bay 

 of Fundy in 1922 were picked up after intervals, respectively, of 82, 102, and 105 

 days — an average of 97 days. Their probable route (figs. 174 and 176) being about 

 300 miles, a daily journey of slightly more than 3 miles is indicated. An interval of 

 59 days for bottle No. 1881, set out off Cape Cod on August 7, 1923, and picked up 

 on the eastern edge of Georges Bank, points to about this same rate as probable; 

 but bottle No. 435, from the Cape Cod series of the year previous, was not picked 

 up on the eastern part of Georges Bank until 96 days after it was set out, though 

 its journey along the general route it may be assum.ed to have followed was no 

 longer. Another bottle from the same section of this same Cape Cod line was found 

 on the western slope of Georges Bank, only about 50 miles distant from where it 

 was set adrift, after it had been afloat for 88 days. It would be interesting to know 

 whether it had circled to and fro over the banks during that long period. The only 

 bottle from the Cape Cod Kne of 1923 (line G) that was reported from the Bay of 

 Fundy was either longer afloat or lay longer on the shore before it was noticed, the 

 interval between its release and recovery being 149 days, or less than 2 miles per day. 



RECOVERIES FROM THE CAPE ANN AND MASSACHUSETTS BAY LINES 



Only 7 of the 100 bottles set out off Cape Ann in August, 1923 (line F;p. 875), have 

 ever been heard from. Five of these were found scattered along the Nova Scotian 

 coast of the gulf and of the Bay of Fundy from Cockerwit Passage, in Pubnico Bay 

 (near Cape Sable), to Digby Gut, and two went to Europe (fig. 176). Time 



