INTEODUCTION, 



20 



preceding June, 1881, the temperature ranged from + 70° to — 55°, a total of 131°, with an annual 

 average range for the four years preceding June, 1881, of 1160.2. For this latter period the 

 average monthly temperatures were as follows : 



Average monthly temperatures for the four years preceding June, 1881, at Saint MichaeU. 



The mean annual temperature is 250.5. 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 days begin in May the hardier plants begin to spring up, 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 water-fowl 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 the first of October 

 until the middle or last of May. The average annual rainfall is 18.36 inches. The following table 

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



Months. 



January . 

 February 

 March ... 



April 



M!ay 



June 



July 



Months. 



August . . . 

 September 

 October . . . 

 November 

 December. 



Total. 



Days 

 totally 

 cloudy. 



21.0 

 20.0 

 19.2 

 13.7 

 9.7 



182.2 



Days 

 partly 

 cloudy. 



8.0 



8.0 



11.2 



13.0 



13.7 



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 65o.5 to 

 — 520.6 or a total of 118°+ . For 1882 the average monthly temperatures were as follows : January, 

 -150.49; February, -23o.6; March, -4o.55; April, —4o.36; May, 210.99; June, 340.52 ; July, 

 433.21; August, 370.86; September, 31^.46; October, 8o.77; November, — 7^.12; December, 

 — 170.10, with an average of +80.83 for the year. 



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



