and its Influence on Animals and Plants, 99 



the bark of some decayed hemlock [Pinus canadensis] or 

 spruce. Snow soon returned 5 ^ 1 " N 1IJ9 ^ 9r ^ *° ° 



Jan. 27th. An exceedingly cold day. In •Ste0 ll SffilJ c #t 

 nine o'clock, the thermometer Was' 10- below i&kbf 7 &v naif- 

 past seven, it was 16°; and, at sunrise, was 21° below zero. 



Feb. 5th. A second remarkable transition from cold to 

 warmth took place. In the open clearings, nearly all traces 

 of snow suddenly disappeared ; the roads were broken up and 

 miry. Early indications of spring, announced by the noisy 

 cawing of the carrion crows, and in the arrival of a flock of 

 of " blue birds." Mosquitoes came out of their hiding-places, 

 and danced in clusters in the sunshine; while a solitary house- 

 fly circled round our sitting-room. For the second time, the 

 waters of the Moshanndn rose, and< i Ovei^i^^ J tfee q ' , Beaver 

 Dams. febflapa^b yjlman^ riuDiiHn 9fb e m9ib ^nibaosiq 



Feb. 8th. This morning, a 'fte*^*ttife <3efe f W aft&i$e 

 thaw, and increased in violetfie£6ihndk^lioa^th^~ t?a^r*and 

 night «r and now icom^e&b&l **hfe 'ihfdst ? gilAgulftf 1 ,' £$& r'&v^n 

 sublime, meteorological phenomenon I have observed in this 

 region. It was an occurrence of unusual note, and extended 

 over a large area in this and the adjoining state, and is com- 

 monly referred to^'unlde* the name ^ #18^* i^9H$ifci** a l 

 shall be somewhat minute in describing* 1 ^ ftWcft e fi&&te&tmg 

 it as fell under ntyeefafl* observational 38W^^^3lift& 

 Immediately on the descent of the rain, it frt^g/* SiPW^w En- 

 velope the trees and earth with a thick coating of transparent 

 ice, and to render walking no easy process?''! *° 29iU88n - 



Feb. 9th. Such an accumulation of ice had now formed 

 upon the branches of the forest trees, as presented a beautiful 

 and extraordinary spectacle. "The^ iffifilt ^Hd$Wffi&°&r 

 " brush " was bowed to the earth, while the noblest timbers 

 were every where to be seen bending beneath the enormous 

 load of ice with which their branches were incrusted, and the 

 icicles which thickly depended from every point. Hie heavy 

 foliage of the hemlock and spruce was literally encased, or 

 rather formed solid masses of ice, the smallest twig or blade 

 of grass being surrounded by more than an inch of* ice, and 

 resembled the vegetable substances, sometimes occurring in 

 masses of crystal. Rain fell in torrents all this day and the 

 chief part of the ensuing night ; until there were about 4 in. 

 of clear ice overspreading the surface of the ground. The 

 change which this phenomenon effected in the usual appear- 

 ance of the woods was striking. The bushes, and smaller 

 trees, extending to those of 50 ft. in height, were now bent 

 to the ground, and pressed upon each other beneath their 

 unwonted burden, resembling, in some respects, fields of com 



h 2 



