the reports of the various voluntary observers in Alabama co-operating with the Weather Bureau.

In its distance from the equator, elevation above sea level, configuration of its mountain chains, proximity to the sea, and prevailing winds, Alabama is favorably situated for a temperate and comparatively unform climate. In the extreme south-western portion, washed by the water of the Gulf of Mexico, the climate approaches the subtropical, while the climate in the highlands of the northeast is similar to that of regions of less elevation much farther north. Extremes of temperature are rare. Over the southern half of the States the heat of the summer is tempered by the prevailing winds from the Gulf, and in the more northern counties the elevation secures immunity from excessively high temperature. Freezing temperatures do not often continue longer than 24 to 48 hours. Snow rarely falls, except in the northern counties, where it occurs on an average of about twice each winter and seldom remains on the ground for more than 48 hours. The rivers do not freeze. With the exception of the country along the Gulf Coast, where the precipitation is heavy, the rainfall is well distributed. The growing season is so long that often two and sometimes three minor crops are raised on the same ground in one year.

TEMPERATURE.

The average temperature of the entire State is 63 degrees; for the southern portion, 66 degrees; middle portion, 64 degrees; northern portion, 60 degrees. Highest average, 67 degrees, in Baldwin and Mobile counties; lowest average, 60 degrees, in DeKalb county. The average by seasons is as follows: Winter, 46 degrees; spring, 63 degrees; summer, 79 degrees; autumn, 63 degrees. The average summer maximum is 90 degrees and the average winter minimum 35 degrees. The absolute maximum, 109 degrees, occurred at Lock No. 4 (Lincoln), Talladega county, July 7, 1902; the absolute minimum 17 degrees below zero at Valley Head, DeKalb county, February 13, 1899. Average number of days per year with temperature above 90 degrees, 62; average number of days per year with temperature below 32 degrees, 35. The temperature seldom falls below zero, the above extremely low reading being recorded during the severe cold wave of February 12-13, 1899, which gave the coldest weather ever recorded or remembered in this section.*

Killing Frost.—The average dates of last killing frost in spring are as follows: northern district, April 6th; middle district, March 23rd; southern district, March 9th; for the state, March 2nd. Av

*Since preparing this article a temperature of 18° below zero cccurred at Valley Head, DeKalb county, February 14, 1905. F. P. C.

erage dates of first killing frost in autumn: northern district, October 20th; middle district, November 5th, southern district, November 17th; for the state, November 4th. This gives average growing seasons as follows; northern district, 197 days; middle district, 227 days; southern district, 253 days; for the state, 226 days. The latest killing frost known, May 2nd, 1897, at Oneonta, Blount Co.; with this exception, the latest on record, was April 30th, at Valley Head, DeKalb county. The earliest killing frost of which there is official record was October 2nd, at Decatur, Morgan county, but the voluntary observer at Oneonta reports that there is a record of killing frost having occurred at that place, September 4th, 1866. Over the middle counties, the last killing frost, as a rule, occurs during the first half of April, and where the last frost is recorded in March, the records. show its formation during the early part of April was prevented by cloudy weather or fresh to brisk winds. The first killing frost usually occurs over the middle counties during the last half of October. When the first frost occurred in November, the records show that at the same time during the last half of October the temperature was low enough for frost, the formation of which was prevented by conditions mentioned above.

PRECIPITATION.

Annual precipitation for the State as a whole, 52 inches; for northern district, 52 inches; middle district, 51 inches; southern district, 55 inches. The distribution of precipitation is shown by the accompanying chart. The greatest annual average—from 62 to 63 inchesis in the southwestern counties, bordering on the Gulf of Mexico. Another region of heavy precipitation is found over the mountainous (north-central and north-eastern) portions, where it ranges from 47 to 54 inches per annum. The region of least precipitation is near the center of the State, where the annual average is about 46 inches. The precipitation is practically all rain. Snow occurs on an average twice each winter in the northern half of the State and about once a winter in the southern counties; it varies from very light in the southern district to moderately heavy (about 8 to 14 inches) in the north-central and northern counties. It is not common for a winter to pass without snow enough to cover the ground in any portion of the State. The precipitation is well distributed throughout the growing season, especially in the middle and most important agricultural counties, and the autumns are, as a rule, favorable for the maturing and gathering of the staple crops.

Fog.-Dense fog seldom occurs, and then generally in the winter or spring months, and is mostly confined to the coast district.

Hail. This occurs occasionally during the spring and summer months, though really destructive hailstorms are rare in this section.

Thunderstorms.-These occur in some portions of the State during every month of the year, being most frequent during the summer months. The most severe thunderstorms occur along the Gulf coast, and in the west central counties.

WINDS.

The prevailing direction for the year is south; for winter, north; spring, south; for summer, south; for autumn, north. Average hourly velocity, (computed from records at Mobile and Montgomery only), 7 miles. The highest velocity ever recorded, was 72 miles from southeast at Mobile October 2nd, 1893. Winds of 40 miles per hour or more have occurred as follows: Mobile (record from 1885 to 1893 inclusive) 23 times, or on an average of a little more than once a year. Montgomery, (record from 1875 to 1903 inclusive), 12 times, or an average of about once in three years.

During the passage of general storms over and to the north of this region, destructive wind storms or tornadoes have occurred as fol lows: Year of greatest frequency, 1884, with 19 storms; average yearly frequency 1.6 storms; year in past twenty-three with no report of storms, none; month of greatest frequency, March; day of greatest frequency, January 11th; hours of greatest frequency, 6 to 8 p. m.; months without such storms, July, August, September, and October; prevailing direction of storm movement, southwest to northeast; region of greatest frequency, north central portion.

XV. BRIEF CLASSIFIED BIBLIOG

RAPHY OF ALABAMA.

In 1898 the compiler published "A Bibliography of Alabama," in the Report of the American Historical Association for 1897 (Washington, 1898; 8vo. pp. 472), in which was listed over five thousand books and pamphlets relating to the State, or to the territory included therein, from the earliest times, with extended descriptive notes as to contents, editions, value, etc. Much of the large body of material there listed is out of print, or is inaccessible, or little known. However, the available materials for a study of the State, its institutions and public men is quite large. In order that students may have the advantage of the principal authorities, a brief classified bibliography has been condensed from the compiler's larger work. It will at least be of suggestive value. It makes no pretense to complete

ness.

I. EARLY EXPLORATION, ABORIGINAL AND INDIAN HISTORY.

James Adair's "History of the American Indians" (1775); D. G. Brinton's "National Legend of the Chahta-Muskokee Tribes" (1870); Drake's "Aboriginal Races of North America" (1880); "Narratives of the Career of De Soto in the Conquest of Florida as Told by a Knight of Elvas and in a Relation by Luys de Biedma," translated by Buckingham Smith (1866) there are several editions of these narratives; "Narratives of Alvar Nunez Cabeca de Vaca," translated by Buckingham Smith (1851); B. F. French's "Historical Collections of Louisiana," 7 volumes, passim (18461875); A. S. Gatschet's "Migration Legend of the Creek Indians," 2 volumes (1884-1888); Benj. Hawkins' "Sketch of the Creek Country" (1848); Col. C. C. Jones' "Antiquities of the Southern Indians" (1873); Du Pratz' “Histoire de la Louisiane" (1758, 1763, 1774); J. H. McCullch's "Researches, Concerning the Aboriginal History of America" (1829); McKenney's "Memoirs; with Sketches of Travels Among the Northern and Southern Indians" (1846); McKenney and Hall's "History of the Indian Tribes of North America," 2 volumes (1854); Wm. Roberts' "First Discovery and Natural History of Florida" (1763); Bernard Romans' "Concise Natural History of East and West Florida" (1775); Walter B. Scaife's "America, Its Geographical History, 1492-1892" (1892); Barnard Shipp's "History of De Soto and Florida, from 1512 to 1568" (1881); Squier and Davis' "Ancient Monuments of Mississippi Valley" (1848); Terneaux-Compans' "Voyages, Relations et Memoires Originaux pour Servir a l'Histoire de la Decouverte de l'Amerique" (1841); Cyrus Thomas' "Catalogue of Prehistoric Works East of Rocky Mountains" (1891); "History of the Conquest of Florida," by Garcilasso de la Vega (in Shipp's "History of De Seto and Florida" -only English version); Wm. M. Willett's "Narrative of the Military Actions of Col. Marinus Willett" (1831); Thomas S. Woodward's "Reminiscences of the Creek Indians" (1859).

In Justin Winsor's "Narrative and Critical History of America," 8 volumes, and in Margry's "Decouvertes et Etablisements des Francais dans l'Ouest et dans le Sud de l'Amerique Septentrionale," 6 volumes, will be found a vast fund of references and material.

II. GENERAL WORK BEARING ON THE HISTORY OF THE STATE. J. G. Baldwin's "Flush Times of Alabama and Mississippi" (1853, 1889); N. W. Bates' "History and Civil Government of Alabama" (1892); Saffold Berney's "Handbook of Alabama" (1878, 1892); H. M. Brackenridge's "History of the Late War Between the United States and Great Britain" (1817); Brant and Fuller's "Memorial Record of Alabama, a Concise Account of the State's Political, Military, Professional and Industrial Progress, with Personal Memoirs," 2 volumes (1893); Willis Brewer's "Alabama: Her History, Resources, War Records, and Public Men, from 1540 to 1872" (1872); R. L. Campbell's "Historical Sketches of Colonial Florida" (1892); A. H. Chappell's "Miscellanies of Georgia" (1874); J. F. H. Claiborne's "Mississippi, as a Province, Territory and State" (1880); N. H. Claiborne's "Notes on the War in the South" (1819); W. G. Clark's "History of Education in Alabama" (1889); Culver's "Alabama's Resources, etc.," (1897); Darby's "Emigrant's Guide" (1818); Darby's "Geographical Description of Louisiana, Southern Part of Mississippi, and Territory of Alabama" (1817); T. C. DeLeon's "Creole Carnivals" (1890); G. R. Fairbanks' "History of Florida" (1871); Flint's "History and Geography of the Mississippi Valley" (1832); George S. Gaines' "Reminiscences of Early Times in the Mississippi Territory" (in the Mobile Register, June-July, 1872); Wm. Garrett's "Reminiscences of Public Men in Alabama for Thirty Years" (1872); H. S. Halbert and T. H. Ball's "Creek War of 1813 and 1814" (1895); James Hall's "Brief History of the Mississippi Territory" (1801); John Haywood's "Natural and Aboriginal History of Tennessee" (1823), and "Civil and Political History of Tennessee" (1823, 1891); Joseph Hodgson's "Alabama Manual" (1869, 1870, 1871, 1875), and "The Cradle of the Confederacy; or, The Times of Troup, Quitman and Yancey" (1876); Maj. A. Latour's "Memoir of the War in West Florida and Louisiana in 1814-15" (1816); B. J. Lossing's "Pictorial Field Book of the War of 1812" (1896), Hugh McCall's "History of Georgia," 2 volumes, (1811, 1816); T. C. McCorvey's "Government of the People of Alabama" (1895); F. X. Martin's "History of Louisiana" (1882); A. B. Meek's "Romantic Passages in Southwestern History" (1857); John T. Milner's "Alabama: As it Was, As It is, and As It Will Be" (1876); J. W. Monette's "History of the Valley of the Mississippi," 2 volumes (1848); Thomas M. Owen's "Bibliography of Alabama," supra (1898), and also "Transactions of the Alabama Historical Society," Volume ii, 1897-98, to Volume V. 1906, edited by him; Albert J. Pickett's "History of Alabama" (2 volumes, 1851; 1 volume, 1896); A. W. Putnam's "History of Middle Tennesse" (1859); J. G. Ramsey's "Annals of Tennessee" (1860); Paul Ravesies' "Scenes and Settlers of Alabama" (1886); Miss M. L. Robbins' "Alabama Women in Literature" (1895); Smith and DeLand's "Northern Alabama, Historical and Biographical" (1888); Wm. R. Smith's "Reminiscences of a Long Life, Historical, Political, Personal and Literary" (1889); J. T. Sprague's "Origin, Progress and Conclusion of the Florida War" (1848); James M. Swank's "History of the Manufacture of Iron in All Ages" (1892); George White's "Historical Collections of Georgia" (1854); Bishop R. H. Wilmer's "Reminiscences" (1887); and Andrew Ellicott's "Journal" of the running of the Southern boundary of the U. S. (1803).

The publications of the Alabama Historical Society, consisting of seven pamphlets (1850-1895), the Historical Reporter (29 numbers, 1879-1885), and two volumes of "Transactions" (Volume ii, 1897-98, to Volume v. 1898-1906) contain valuable historical contributions. Some recent books are DuBose's "Sketches of Alabama History" (1901); Brown's "History of Alabama" (1900); Miller's "School History of Alabama"; Beverly's "History of Alabama" (1901); McCorvey's "Government of the People of Alabama" (1902); Scott's "Mobilians" (1898); and the "Alabama Official and Statistical Register," editions of 1903 and 1907, edited by Thos. M. Owen.