188 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol,. 11., No. 28. 



and arrows indicating- tlie prevailing wind- 

 directions. The pressure conditions are quite 

 normal, the regions of highest mean press- 

 ure being the South Atlantic and Gulf 

 states, and the North Pacitic coast. Eight 

 areas of low pressure have been traced 

 over the United States, with an average 

 velocity of 24.2 miles per hour. The dis- 

 continuance of telegraphic reports from 

 stations west of the Rock^' Mountains pre- 

 vented the charting of the earl}- portions 

 of some of the storm-tracks. The pas- 

 sage of the low areas was accompanied 

 b}' wide-extended and in many cases se- 

 vere local storms, though they were not 

 so numerous nor so violent as tlrose which 

 occurred in tlie month of Maj'. 



The departures from the normal tem- 

 peratures were in no section large. On 

 the Atlantic coast and west of the Rock3' 

 Mountains the temperature was slightly 

 higher than the average, and over the in- 

 terior districts slightly lower. Frosts oc- 

 curred in mauj- states in the first days of 

 the month. 



The following table contains the rainfall 

 statistics for the mouth ; — 



Average precipitation for June, 1883. 



Comparison of 



Atlantic Ocean in this month. All of these 

 are in the eastern portion, and none are traced 



Kew England . . . 

 Middle Atliwuic states 

 South Atlantic slates . 

 Florida peninsula . . 



East Gnlf 



AVest Uulf 



Tonncssee 



Ohio valley .... 

 Lower lakes .... 

 Upper lakes .... 

 Extreme north-west . 

 Upper Mississippi valley 

 Missouri valley . . . 

 Korthern slope . . . 

 Middle slope .... 

 Southern slope . . . 

 Southern plateau . . 

 North Pacitic coast . . 

 Middle Pacitic coast . 

 South Pacilic coast . . 



Inches. 

 0.24 deftciency. 

 1.70 excess. 

 1.92 excess. 

 0.90 delicieucy. 

 0.62 excess. 

 0.38 excess. 

 0.85 di'ficiency. 

 0.43 deficiency. 

 0.78 excess. 

 0.91 excess. 

 1.60 deficiency. 

 0.16 excess. 

 2.82 excess. 

 0.90 excess. 

 0.26 excess. 

 1.56 deticiency. 

 0.37 deficiency. 

 1.46 deficiency. 

 18 deficiency. 



On account of the excess of rain iu the Mis- 

 souri valley, disastrous floods occurred in the 

 latter part of the month. At St. Louis the 

 river reached the highest point since the estab- 

 lishment of the signal-service station. Much 

 dela}- was experienced b3- the railwaj-s cen- 

 tring in St. Louis and Kansas Cit}'. 



Tliree depressions only are charted upon the 



Ice-chart for June, 1883. 



from America to Europe. The weather over 

 the North Atlantic was fair ; but dense fogs 

 prevailed from the coast of the United States 

 eastward to the fortieth meridian. Ice was 

 found as far east as 42° longitude, and as far 

 south as 40°. 5 latitude. During the mouth, 

 icebergs drifted about three degrees eastward 

 of the position in May. Compared with June, 

 1882, there is a marked decrease in the num- 

 ber of icebergs, and also in the amount of 

 drifting field-ice. The accompanying chart 

 shows the position of the ice in the mouth. 



An interesting diagram is published in the 

 review, showing the observations made on the 

 steamship Assyria during her voyage from 

 New York to Bristol, May 27 to June 11. 

 Some of the symbols used are unexplained, 

 however. The marked features are the rise 

 iu temperature immediately after leaving the 

 Atlantic coast and the corresponding fall east 

 of the fiftieth meridian, the agreement between 

 the temperature and pressure curves, and the 

 agreement between the temperatures of the air 

 and sea-water. 



Minor displays of auroras at various stations 

 were reported during the month, and on the 

 30th ail extensive but not brilliant display- 

 was noted. The number of suu-spots and 

 groups was large. The record of halos, mirage, 

 and meteors is large ; and two water-spouts 

 were reported, — one on Lake Erie, the other 

 on Lake Monroe, Fla. 



The verificatiou of the tri-daily indications 



