22 F, Gardiner on the ice in Kennebec river. 
of ice 3 in. below surface of water. Temperature of snow just 
below its surface, 0°; just above the ice, —3°45°; of ice at depth 
of 10 in.,—1°95. Fe b: 15, air in shade, ~4 15; depth of snow, 6 
in. Below this was a sheet of ice generally 33 i in. thick, then a 
layer of water 24 in., then about 12 in. of ice; in all, 18 in. 
The. temperature of the ice was taken at a point where the two _ 
layers were frozen together. Snow near surface, —1°55°; 
just 
ore: ice, —0°75° ; ice at depth of 2 in. 0°46°; - 14 in,, 665°) 
Feb. 22, thickness of snow, ice, and water, about the same. 
Temperature of air in shade, ~3-90° ; of snow near its surface, 
6°; just above ice, 0°55° ; of enclosed water, 005°. The layer — 
of water prevented the examination of the ice below. March — 
18, snow on the ice all gone; upper layer of ice,4in., butmuch 
isintegrated and in places wholly gone ; enclosed water v 
ary- 4 
ing from 2 to 5 in., and the entire thickness of the whole reduced . 
to from 14 to 16 in. ate, Fone of enclosed water, 0°85°; 
temperature of air in shade, 390°; in sun, 725°. At ‘another 
point, where the draft of air nilee a bridge kept the surface 
nearly free from snow, but still fully exposed to the sun, the 
following observations were made: Februar ry 15—air in shade, 
—4-70°; insun, 0°; thickness of “snow ice,” 3in.; of black ice, 
19 in.: ‘total, 22 in. Temperature of ice at depth of 2 i in., — 0°35° ; 
at 10 in., —2°15°; at 18 in, —2:25°. Feb. 22,—air in shade, 
~2°25°; in sun, 9°50°; snow ice, 24 in.; black ice, 212 in.: 
satel a ‘Temperature of i ice at 2 in, ps 15°; ;* at 10 in., 1-00°; 
was arg freely. liaeh, ll —air in shade, —2°20°; in sun, 
oe 10 —— of ice thawing i in the sun. Thickness of black 
g no snow ice), 224 in. Tem erature, at 2 in. 
190" at 10 in., 2°35°;' at 18 in., 1:25°. ~ : 4 
ations show that the ice expands — —- 
to Tee ai ure of the water, and that the temperature of the — . 
ice itself, for such thickness as above given, varies SE 
its changes having little meena to the w ; * 
appears that mr rays of rg sun at these Serie (and probably 
the same would be true of much ter depths,) are absorbed 
largely by an enclosed object, even of a gets color. In the uni- 7 
form water at various d epths, there is evi- — 
dence that the sudden disintegration of the ice, and its 
retest is not in this instance due to the action of the sires q 
oce 
urs constantly on the large ponds in the neighborhood, 
but rarely on the river. It never takes place until the “snow 
re ine entirely melted, and is believed to be due to the action — 
* Chips of the Seo lol NS Sale Soe melted, and thermometer case some- | 
Gardiner, Maine, March 2, 1865, - 
+ 
