• 123 



WIND=FORMED SNOWBALLS AT HARROGATE. 



A. LESLIE ARMSTRONG, P.A.S.L 



The heavy fall of snow on Friday, January 28th, left a depth of 

 ten or twelve inches overspreading the two large fields in East 

 Parade, Harrogate, opposite ' Grosvenor Terrace.' During 

 Friday night a strong north-east wind got up, and upon Satur- 

 day morning the fields referred to presented a most unusual 

 spectacle, for the south-west portion of each was overspread 

 by innumerable snow balls, ranging in size from tiny balls the 

 diameter of a walnut, up to huge ones of quite twenty-four 

 inches ; by far the greater number were over twelve inches in 

 diameter. Apparently they had been rolled up by the wind in 

 much the same manner that the ' small boy " delights to roll 

 up snowballs, but these were much more spherical in form than 

 his usual productions. Possibly the nucleus of each had been 

 cleri^^ed from particles blown off the trees which stud the fields, 

 or off the fences which bound them. Many of these balls were 

 still in process of formation, but later in the day the cessation 

 of the wind and a lowering of temperature caused them to 

 settle in the snow a good deal, although they remained until 

 the break up of the frost, prominent objects for observant eyes. 

 Strange to say, I could find practically no trace of similar 

 .action elsewhere in the vicinity, with the sole exception of three 

 instances, but in no case did the balls number more than half 

 a dozen, whereas there were hundreds in the fields referred to. 

 An old dalesman tells me he once saw the same sort of thing 

 many years ago, but it was said ' the Fairies had done it.' L 

 can quite understand that idea because the wind had almost 

 obliterated all the tracks of the balls, and to superstitious minds 

 they presented a very weird appearance. 



We notice in a Birmingham bookseller's catalogue that there is for 

 sale ' A remarkably fine bronze of Buffalo, with fine pair of horns, in full 

 flight.' On the same page are offered ' Ten pieces of jNIycena^an pottery, 

 dating from the age of the earliest European civilization,' which ' are prob- 

 .ably fully three hundred years old.' 



In our February issue we referred to the note on Xordmann's Pratin- 

 cole m the January British Birds, and stated that ' Mr. Fortime's 

 photograph is also reproduced, without any reference to the photographer.' 

 Whilst the second part of the sentence still holds, we are pleased to learn 

 that it was not Mr. Fortune's photograph that was reproduced, though 

 •oddly enough it was supplied by the same person that had received two 

 prints of the bird from Mr. Fortune ; and the photograph was taken from 

 £i precisely similar point of view. We regret the error. 



1910 Mar. I. 



