1908.] PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY PEACE EIVER VALLEY. 23 



ably not before June. The lake usually closes at Fort Chipewyan 

 some time in Xovember. 



The following table illustrates the temperature conditions at Fort 

 Chipewyan, Athabaska Lake: 



Summaries of temperatures taken at Fort Chipewyan during the year 1900. 



Month. 



Mean daily 

 maximum. 



Mean daily 



Extremes . 



Monthly 

 mean. 



minimum. 



Maximum. 



Minimum. 





- 5.4 



-18.9 



12.5 



-36.0 



-12.2 



February. _ __ 





—22.2 



7.0 



-42.0 



-14.9 



March- 





-lie 



41.0 



-.39.5 



4.2 



ApriL ______ _ _ . 



49.4 



29.6 



66.0 



8.5 



.39.5 



May 



61.8 



41.9 



70.0 



25.5 



51.8 



June - 



68.1 



48.5 



81.0 



35.0 



58.3 



July 



70.0 



.51.0 



79.0 



38.0 



60.5 



August __ _ _ . 



68.3 



47.7 



83.0 



31.5 



.58.0 



September 



55.5 



37.6 



68.0 



24.0 



46.6 



October . _ _ 



43.4 



28.0 



58.0 



15.0 



35.7 



November 



16.7 



1.7 



40.0 



-18.0 



9.3 



December _ _ _ _ 



12.8 



- 2.7 



29.0 



-34.0 



5.5 



Year 







83.0 



-42.0 



28.5 



1 





The following- table has been compiled from records taken at Fort 

 Chipewyan, Athabaska Lake, probably by R. MacFarlane. 



Dates of seasonal events at Fort Chipewyan, Athahaska Lake, 



Seasonal event. 



1883. 



1884. 



1885. 



1886. 



1887. 



Snow bunting first noted . _ 







Mar. 22 

 Apr. 13 

 Apr. 21 

 Apr. .30 



Mar. 29 

 Apr. 11 

 Apr. 12 



May 8 

 \m\ 23 



Apr. 5 

 Apr. 11 

 Mar. 25 

 May 2 

 Apr. 26 

 Apr. 28 



Canada goose first noted 





Apr. 9 

 Apr. 16 



Mav 8 

 ____do - 







Frogs first noted 





Robin first noted 





SnoAv goose first noted 







May 4 

 Oct. 1 



-___do-__ 

 Oct. 9 



Snow bunting arrived from north 



Oct. 12 

 Oct. 11 



Oct. 14 

 Oct. 18 



Ptarmigan aiTived from north 



Oct. 28 









THE PEACE RIVER VALLEY. 



Peace River is the largest of the affluents of the Athabaska -Mac- 

 kenzie system, and being in fact much larger than the Athabaska. 

 may be considered the main river. It rises on the western side of the 

 Rocky Mountains and is already a good-sized stream when it breaks 

 through that range. Its principal feeders west of the range are the 

 Finlay and the Parsnip. The former river rises near the headwaters 

 of the Skeena and flows southeasterly. The Parsnip rises close to some 

 of the head feeders of the Fraser. at an altitude of about i^.r^OO feet, 

 and flows northward, uniting with the Finlay in latitude 5(V\ Here . 

 the river turns eastward through the mountains, the pass being about 

 1,600 feet above sea level, and the mountains on each side rising 

 some -i.oOO feet higher. The tree limit on these mountains occurs at 

 about 4,000 feet. 



