168 



FISHING-GEOUNDS OF NOETH AMERICA. 



Gulp of Maine. — Considerable differences occur in the maximums of both air and surface 

 temperatures at the several stations in the Gulf of Maine. Aside from Thatcher's Island, the high- 

 est air maximum is 75o.5, at Mount Desert Eock, the lowest 65°, at Matinicus Eock; the highest 

 water maximum is 62°, at Boon Island, the lowest 54°, at Matinicus Eock. As to the surface 

 curves. Boon Island agrees most closely with Pollock Eip and Kantucket New South Shoal, while 

 Matinicus Eock and Mount Desert Eock afford the lowest surface maximums of any of the stations 

 on the entire coast. 



TaMe showing the minimum and maximum temperatures of the air and surface water, and the ranges of air and surface temper- 

 ature at the light-house stations, for the five years from 1831 to 1885, inclusive. 



stations.* 



Petit Manan Island, Me 



Mount Desert Rock, Me 



Matinicus Rock, Me 



Seguin Island, Me 



Boon Island, Me 



« Thatcher's Island, Mass 



Pollock Ryp^ Mass 



Nantucket N. 8. Shoal, Mass . 



Vineyard Sound, Mass 



JBrenton's Reef, R. I 



Block Island, R.I 



Kre Island, N.T 



Sandy Kook, N. Y 



Abaocon Inlet, N. J 



Five-Fathom Sank, N. J 



Winter Quarter Shoal, Ya — 



Body's Island, N. C 



Cape Lookout, N. C 



Frying Pan Shoals, K. 



Rattlesnake Shoal, S. C 



Martin's Industry, S. C 



Fowey Rocks, Fla 



Carysfort Reef, ITla 



Tortugas, Fla 



Period. 



March 1 to January 1. 



do 



do 



do 



do 



Entire year 



March 1 to January 1. 



Entire year 



March 1 to January 1. 



do 



do 



do 



do 



do 



do 



do 



Entire year 



do 



do 



do 



do 



do 



do 



do 



Air temperature. 



Minimum. Maximum. Range. 



o ji, 

 20 

 25.5 

 23 

 24 

 22.5 

 30 

 27 

 26 

 28.5 

 29 

 22 

 35 

 31.6 

 33 

 36.6 

 33 

 27 

 43 

 44 

 45.5 

 45 

 63 

 05.5 

 07 



o ^_ 



70 



76.5 



63 



70.6 



73.5 



78.5 



66 



09 , 



71.5 



74.6 



79 



83.5 



81.5 



79.5 



83.6 



81 



91 



84 



85 



86.5 



84 

 88.5 



> F. 

 50 



50 



42 



46.5 



51 



48.5 



39 



43 



43 



45.5 



67 



48.5 



50 



46.5 



47 



48 



64 



41 



41 



41 



41.5 



18 



18.5 



21.5 



Surface temperature. 



Minimum. Maximum. Range. 



o F. 

 31 



32.5 



33 



33 



35 



32 



33.5 



31 



34 



29.5 



35 



33 



34.6 



37 



35.5 



23 



42 



49.5 



47 



47 



70 



71.5 



65.5 



OF. 

 58.5 



54.5 



54 



58 



62 



67 



02. 5 



62 



70.5 



75 



74.5 



79.5 



76 



76.5 



91 



84 



82.5 



85 



85 



86.5 



86.5 



27.5 



21.5 



21.6 



25 



29 



32 



30.5 



28.5 



37 



35 



41 



40 



41.5 



45 



39 



41 



63 



42 



33 



38 



38 



16.5 



15 



20.5 



* The names of light-ships are printed in italics. 



RELATIONS OF THE TEMPEEATUEE CURVES. 



A comparison of the temperature curves for corresponding years at successive stations shows 

 great uniformity in their relative positions and also in those irregularities which are indicative of 

 more or less rapid changes of temperature. This uniformity often extends to stations that are 

 widely separated or differently, situated. Between January 20 and Ai^ril 10, 1881, there were three 

 separate periods during which the temperature fell below the average for that time of year at the 

 southern stations. These several periods of low temperature are well brought out for both the air 

 and surface by marked deflections in the curves beginning at the Tortugas and extendiug as far 

 as Body's Island, the most northern station at which the temperature observations have been 

 plotted for January and February. North of Body's Island, the last of these three periods, occur- 

 ring between March 21 and April 10, can be traced as far as the Gulf of Maine, although at the 

 northern stations the temperature at that time was not always lower than in other years. Again, 

 between November 16 and December 16, 1882, another unusually cold spell is indicated on all the 

 charts from the Tortugas to the Gulf of Maine. Many other indications of conformity between the 



