FRESH-WATER ALG. 221 
among the superstitious inhabitants of the sur- 
rounding districts, who looked upon it as an omen 
of impending calamity, and sought refuge from 
their fears in various protective ceremonies. 
Among the Peruvian mountains, Darwin relates 
that on several patches of snow he found this 
curious appearance. His attention was called to 
it by observing the footsteps of the mules stained 
a pale red, as if their hoofs had been slightly 
bloody. The snow was coloured only where it 
had thawed very rapidly, or had been accident- 
ally crushed.t It is in the Arctic regions, how- 
ever, that the red snow is found most frequently, 
and in the greatest luxuriance. Sir John Ross, 
during his memorable expedition to these regions 
in 1808, found on the 16th of June, in about lati- 
tude 75°, a range of cliffs rising about 800 feet 
above the level of the sea, and extending eight 
miles in length, entirely covered with snow, which 
seemed as though it had been watered by some 
crimson decoction. Sir W. E. Parry found the 
same phenomenon, during his heroic attempt to 
reach the Pole by travelling over the ice in 1827; 
and ascertained besides, that wherever the surface 
* It is a curious circumstance, that Dr. Hooker never met with 
a single specimen of red snow, during all his wanderings over the 
lofty snow surfaces of the Sikkim Himalayas, especially as on 
almost every mountain range elevated above the line of perpetual 
snow, it has been seen, often in abundance. 
