On the Red Snow of the Arctic Ices* 55 



water is quite common on the coasts of Spitzbergen and Green- 

 land. It is particularly described in the " Account of the Arc- 

 tic Regions," (vol i. 175-180), and in the " Journal of a Voy- 

 age to Greenland in 1822," (at pages 130, 353-357) ; and its 

 action on the ice is stated to be such, that it tinges the edges of 

 the masses against which it washes with an orange-yellow stain ; 

 and, when thrown upon the windward side of detached sheets 

 of ice, by the action of the " lipper," the colouring matter is se- 

 parated by the snow, and incorporated with it, whilst the ex- 

 -cess of water is filtered off. The animal which gives this pecu- 

 liarity to the sea, and produces this effect on the ice, belongs to 

 the class Radiaires, and seems nearly allied to the Beroe globu- 

 leux of Lamarck. It is about the size of a pin''s head, transpa- 

 rent, marked with twelve distinct patches or nebulae of dots, of 

 a brownish colour. These dots, which appear to give the pecu- 

 liar colour to the sea, are disposed in pairs, four pairs, or six- 

 teen pairs alternately, composing one of the nebula. The num- 

 ber of these animals in the olive-green sea is immense. A cubic 

 foot was calculated to contain about 110,592. When the water 

 containing these animals was heated, it emitted a very strong 

 odour, in some respects resembling the smell of oysters when 

 thrown on hot coals, but more offensive : the smell of the melt- 

 ed orange-coloured snow when heated was similar. From these 

 considerations, the animal nature and marine origin of the co- 

 louring matter on the ice were inferred ; and, I apprehend, with- 

 out any risk of mistake. 



But, as the peculiar snow observed by Captain Parry, is de- 

 scribed under the different appellations of *' rose-coloured,"" 

 " salmon-coloured," and " red snow,*' none of which corresponds 

 exactly with the orange tinge, which I have most frequently 

 seen, it is evident that, if the origin of the colouring matter be 

 the same, the animal producing it must be of a different kind 

 or species. Salmon-coloured snow, indeed, I have several times 

 observed, under circumstances of situation, &c. exactly similar 

 to the other ; and, without hesitation, I ascribed it to the same 

 cause ; and an animalcule, capable of producing the rose or 

 red colour, was particularly examined on my last visit to the 

 coast of Greenland in 1823. The following is the description, 

 as extracted from my manuscript journal of the voyage. 



