S22 Red Snow of the Arctic Regions. 



gentlemen, to Sowallick Point, in quest of the meteoric iron, 

 which we understood was to be found in this quarter. We were 

 disappointed in the object of our visit, but our mortification on 

 this account was somewhat lessened by meeting, for the first 

 time, with the crimson snow, which was described by Captain 

 Ross. 



Sowallick Point is formed by the projection of a small hill 

 from the high mountainous coast which bounds Prince Re- 

 gent's Bay. The summit of this hill is covered with huge 

 masses of granite that have been precipitated at various periods 

 from the cliffs above, whilst the side, which forms a gentle de- 

 clivity towards the bay, was covered with crimson snow. It 

 was evident, at first view, that this colour was imparted to the 

 snow by a substance lying on its surface. This substance lay 

 scattered here and there in small masses, bearing some re- 

 semblance to powdered cochineal, surrounded by a lighter 

 shade, which was produced by the colouring matter being 

 partly dissolved and diffused by the deliquescent snow. Dur- 

 ing this examination, our hats and upper garments were 

 observed to be daubed with a substance of a similar red colour, 

 and a moment's reflection convinced us that this was the 

 excrement of the Little Auk (A'lca minor), myriads of which 

 were continually flying over our heads, having their nests 

 among the loose masses of granite, which I have before de- 

 scribed as covering the ridge of this little hill. A ready ex- 

 planation of the origin of the red snow was now presented to 

 us, and not a doubt remained in the mind of any that this was 

 the correct one. The snow on the mountains of higher ele- 

 vation than the nests of these birds was perfectly white, and a 

 ravine at a short distance, which was filled with snow from top 

 to bottom, but which afforded no hiding-place for these birds 

 to form their nests, presented a uniformly white appearance- 

 On the 2d of August I landed on Cape York, and procured 

 a bottleful of red snow, and collected some of the dung of 

 the Little Auks from the stones among which they had their 

 nests; and my intention was to have submitted both to the 

 examination of some eminent naturalist. But on my arrival 

 in England, a hasty summons to this country dissolved the red 

 snow from my memory, and all recollections of the arctic 

 regions were lost among the new scenes which opened to my 

 view under a tropical sun. 



That there does exist a genus of plants of the order A'\g3d, 

 that occasionally may impart their colour to snow and other 

 substances, I would not have the hardihood to deny ; but that 

 the red snow of the arctic regions owes its colour to this cause 

 I have some reason to doubt. Deference to the opinion of 



