50 



IV. 



MARCH 1st. 



" Sundog." — Insects. — Pine Grosbeak. — White-winged Crossbill. — Com- 

 mon CrossbUl. — Pine Finch. — Tree Sparrow. — Golden Eye. — Snow 

 Owl. — Masuippi River. — American Hare. — Operation of "Twisting." 

 — Moose. — Anecdote. 



Charles. — A few evenings ago, I observed a curious 

 phenomenon : about half an hour before sunset, the sun 

 being about 4° above the horizon, at the distance of about 

 22° on each side was a fragment of a halo, marked with 

 the prismatic colours; each arc resting on the horizon, 

 somewhat like a pillar of coloured light : the red rays were 

 next the sun, the green, blue, violet, and indigo were very 

 faint, yet perceptible ; the height to which the arcs extended 

 from the horizon was about 6°, but they were not quite 

 uniform in this respect. The sky was bright and cloudless, 

 except a slight haze in the west, near the horizon, sufficient 

 to cast a dimness over the distant mountains. The day 

 had been very cold, the thermometer in the morning soon 

 after sunrise standing at 1 7° below zero. As the sun ap- 

 proached the horizon, the meteor became fainter ; and gra- 

 dually disappeared, when the sun was sunk. 



Father. — The phenomenon is not uncommon : I have 

 seen it about sunrise as well as in the evening ; the common 

 people call it a ''sundog." I do not know that it differs 

 from a common halo, except in having the prismatic colours, 

 which I am not meteorologist enough to explain. The tints 

 of a rainbow are caused by each falling drop of rain decom- 



