THE PROGRESS OF THE SEASONS. 319 



NOTES OF THE YEAR 186 . 



January 5. Snow falls at niglit to depth of four 

 inches, quite level, with a cold N.E. wind. 



6. First good sleighing of the year in Halifax ; ther- 

 mometer ranges about 12° Fahr. throughout the day. 



7. Clear and cold ; thermometer, — 5°. A dense pall 

 of vapour on the harbour, obscuring all but the tops 

 of vessels, and coating the sides and rigging with 

 ice. Large numbers of smelts and frost-fish (Morrhua 

 pruinosa) brought to market ; the former taken with bait 

 through holes cut in the ice in upper harbours or large 

 lakes freely communicating with the sea ; the latter by 

 bag-nets in rivers at the head of the tide, where they are 

 now engaged in spawning. They are only taken at night, 

 returning at daybreak to deep water. Trout, taken 

 through the ice, and brought to market, dark and flabby, 

 and quite worthless. 



10. The north-west arm of the sea in rear of the city 

 of Halifax frozen from head to the Chain Battery, two 

 miles, and covered with light snow. Sleighing on roads 

 excellent. 



10 — 21. Mild, close weather, with southerly winds 

 and occasional heavy rains ; snow nearly disappears, even 

 in the woods to the eastward. This is an instance of the 

 usual January thaw. 



22. Ice on the lake twelve inches thick. Many moose 

 killed during the thaw brought to market ; the bulls still 

 retain their horns. Eels taken in harbours by spearing 

 through holes in the ice on muddy bottoms, where they 

 lie in a state of torpidity. 



