50 



IV. 



MARCH 1st. 



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

 mon Crossbill. 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- 



