288 The Parhelion. [Book III. 



towards the edges they were tinged with colours Tike 

 thofe of the rainbow, and they were uneven and rag- 

 ged. The parhelion N was a little wavering, and fent 

 out a fpiked tail N P, of a colour fomewhat fiery, the 

 length of which was continually changing. 



The parhelia at L and M, in the horizontal ring, 

 were not fo bright as the former, but were rounder, 

 and white, like the circle in which they were placed. 

 The parhelion N difappeared before K j and while M 

 grew fainter, K grew brighter, and vanifhed the laft of 

 all. 



It is to be obferved farther, that the order of the co- 

 lours in the circles D E F, G K N, was the lame as in 

 the common halo-'s, namely red next the fun, and the 

 diameter of the inner circle was alfo about 45 degrees ; 

 which is the ufual fize of a halo. 



Parhelia have been feen for one, two, three, and 

 four hours together ; and in North America they are 

 faid to continue fome days, and to be vifible from fun- 

 rife to fun fet. When they difappear, it fometimes 

 rains, or fnow falls in the form of oblong fpiculas *. 



Mr. Wales fays, that at Churchill, in Hudfon's Bay, 

 the rifing of the fun is always preceded by two long 

 ftreams of red light. Thefe nfe as the fan rifes; and 

 as they grow longer begin -to bend towards each other, 

 till they meet directly over the fun, forming there a 

 kind of parhelion or mock fun. 



Thefe two ftreams of light, he fays, feem to have 

 their fburce in two other parhelia, which rife with the 

 true fun j and in the winter feafon, when the fun never 

 rifes above the haze or fog, which he foys is conftantly 

 found near ihe horizon, all thefe accompany him the 



Prieftley's Hift. Opt. p. 614 to 617. 



whole 



