46 THE OREGON NATURALIST. 



places. southern hillsides appear. Then comes 



In climate, Kodiak is neither arctic nor June, with its extremely long days and 

 temperate, but rather intermediate be- warm sunshine, soon driving away the re- 

 tween the two, and perhaps the best way 'mainderof the winter's snow, and giving 

 to convey a correct impression to the birth to myriads of wild flowers, 

 reader's mind, will be to describe, an characteristic of this northern territory, 

 average year, month by month. To the traveler, these long days almost 



The first of January, finds the island devoid of night, are really harder to get 

 covered with a deep mantle of snow, used to than the dark winter months; for 

 furious gales sweep over hill and valley, it is not easy to go to bed and sleep in 

 tearing shingles off the houses, blowing broad daylight, at least, not to most 

 down fences and occasionally driving the people. July and August, are generally 

 thermometer down to a point at which warm, and would be pleasant months, 

 cattle freeze to death in the very settle- were it not for the frequent heavy winds, 

 ments, snow falling almost continously. About the middle of September, the rains 

 During February, the winds are not so commence, and last with but little inter- 

 boisterous, and the snow-storms are less ruption through to the end of November, 

 frequent, and bright sunny days begin to Then it begins to freeze, and continues to 

 break the monotony of the long dark do so until the ground is frozen solid for 

 winter; for it must be borne in mind that a considqrable depth, how deep 1 do not 

 at this time of the year, there is but from know, because 1 never could succeed in 

 five to seven hours of daylight, and on driving a pick down deeper than a couple 

 snowy days not half that number. The of inches. 



ocean does not freeze, but as the tide i wish to call the readers attention to 

 recedes, the water on the beach freezes so two facts in this connection; first, that 

 that the bowlders in time, accumulate the ground freezes to considerable depth 

 coat upon coat of ice, and assume prodig- befor* the snow falls; second, that the 

 ious proportions, and great rolls of ice fall of snow is quite heavy, 

 mark the height to which each tide has 1 do so because a good deal has been 

 risen. In extreme winters, the small written by unscrupulous persons about 

 sheltered bays freeze over. March, and the "agricultural resources" of Alaska, 

 the first half of April, differ but little from and particular stress has been laid on the 

 February, excepting that the days grow advantages of Kodiak Island for cattle 

 longer, snow storms less frequent, so that raising, all of which is pure and unadulter- 

 a crust forms and snow-shoe travel is ated "trash." 



then practical. Towards the latter end of Before passing to the avi-fauna of this 

 April,- the heat of the sun begins to make region, a few words relating to the mam- 

 an impression on the snow, so that by the mals, may not be out of place. The only 

 first week in May, bare spots on the large terrestial mammals found on Kodiak 



