INTEODUCTION. 



20 



precediDg Juue, 1881, the temperature rauged from + 70= to —55°, a total of 131^, witli au auuxial 

 average rauge for the four years precediug June, 1881, of 116^.2. For this latter period the 

 average monthly temperatures were as follows : 



Ai-craye mouMi/ temperatures for the four years preceding June, 1S«1, at Saint ilicliaeh. 



The mean annual temperature is 25o.5. There are but two seasons in this district, a long 

 cold winter, during which the sea is frozen over completely for many miles from shore, and a 

 short summer. 



As soon as the warm daj-s begin in May the hardier plants begin to spring iip, and a week of 

 warm weather the first of June shades the hill-sides with green in sunny spots. A little later and 

 the hills are covered with flowers. 



The general arrival of birds is from May 15 to 25 in ordinary seasons. The land birds begin 

 to move south by the end of July. The first geese arrive at Saint Michaels the last of April 

 and the Barn Swallow about May 20. The last of September only a few waterfowl remain and 

 by the middle of October the sea is freezing over. From the first to the middle of June each year 

 the sea ice breaks up and is blown offshore. Snow lies on the ground from tlie first of October 

 until the middle or last of May. The average auuual rainfall is 18.36 inches. The I'ollowiug table 

 shows the character of the weather for the four years already mentioned: 



Months. 



DavB 

 totally 

 cloudy. 



January 11.5 



FeTimaVy 6. 7 



March ! 9.2 



April 18.2 



May 17.5 



Juno 16.0 



July 19.5 



Days 

 partly 



cloudy. 



13.2 



9.0 

 13.5 



8.0 

 11.5 

 12.2 

 10.2 



Days 

 clear. 



6.2 

 12.5 

 8.0 

 3.7 

 2.0 

 1.71 

 1.2 



Months. 



August . . . 

 September 

 October.. - 

 November 

 December. 



Total. 



Dava 



totally 

 cloudy. 



Days 



partly 

 cloudy. 



21.0 

 20.0 

 19.2 

 13.7 

 9.7 



8.0 



8.0 



11.2 



13.0 



13.7 



182.2 I 131-5 



Days 

 clear. 



2.0 

 2.0 

 .5 

 3.2 

 7.5 



55.5 



From the northern portion of this district the only meteorological record we have is that of 

 the Point Barrow Expedition. 



As these observations were taken at the extreme northern portion of the district, I append a 

 brief summary of them for the purpose of comparing the climatic conditions there with those 

 of the southern portion of the same district. Although considerably farther north than Saint 

 Michaels, and on the shore of the Arctic Ocean, yet there is comparatively little difference. 

 Summer opens at about the same time at both points. The first bird arrivals occur at both local- 

 ities in April, and by the end of May the migration is about over and birds have begun to nest. 



The range of the thermometer during twenty-two months at Point Barrow was from C5°.5 to 

 — 520.G or a total of 118° -f. For 1882 the average monthly temperatures were as follows : January, 

 -15'=.49; February, -23o.6; March, -40.55; April, —4o.3C ; May, 210.99; June, 340.52 ; July, 

 430.21; August, 370.86; September, 310.46; October, So.77; November, — 70.12; December, 

 — 170.10, with an average of -f 8o.83 for the year. 



The rainfall and melted suow amounted to 8.01 inches during this same year. 



