CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE NATURAL HISTORY OF ALASKA. 49 



Moderate rain and snow ; gusty gale from the north. — January 25 : Gusty gale from the north ; light rain. — January 

 26: Light gale late In p. m. from the south; rain and snow fell lightly. — January 27: Hard rain with little snow; 

 hard gale rate from SE. to E. — January 28 : Gusty gale from the northeast ; moderate rain with snow. — January 29 : 

 Gusty gale, from S. to NE. ; hard rain with snow. — January 30 : Heavy sea running. — January 31 : Natives preparing 

 to go off to the other islands to hunt sea-otters ; they are detained by the severe weather of this entire month ; late 

 in p. m. they started, but were soon compelled to go to land ; the snow has nearly disappeared from the low grounds ; 

 all kinds of water-fowl are extremely scarce, and fresh food is not attainable. 



FEBRUARY, 1881. 



February 1 : Light snow and sleet. — February 2: Deposit of frost on various objects; hard freeze ; snow of light 

 character in p. m. — February 3: Heavy sea running. — February 6: Light snow with drizzling rain. — February 7: 

 Gusty gale from the south ; short, hard rain ; snow drifted violently ; lunar corona. — February 8. — Violent gusts from 

 the south ; quite hard freeze. — February 9 : Hard gale, increased to a storm rate from the northeast ; hard rain with 

 snow. — February 10 : Light rain, with snow and sleet squalls ; lunar corona. — February 11 : Sea very rough. — February 

 12: Lunar coiona. — February 13 : South to east gale ; light rain-fall. — February 14: High gale from NE. to NW. ; grass 

 beginning to peep out.— February 15: Moderate snow with gale from the north. — February 16: Gusty gale from the 

 northwest; fine snow fell.— February 17 : Light skifts of snow and sleet.— February 19: Light snow-fall.— February 

 20 : Great gustiness of wind from the north ; misty. — February 21 : Hard rain ; earthquake at 7.16 p. m. ; it gave quite 

 a wrench to the house ; undulations from E. to W.— February 22 : Light gale from NE. to N. ; moderate rain ; violent 

 sea running.— February 24 : Light snow fell.— February 25 : High gusty winds from SW. to NW.— February 26 : Sleet 

 and snow squalls. — February 27 : Gale from S. to SW. ; light sleet and snow fall. — February 28 : Violent snow squalls, 

 with sleet; during this month the natives have made several ineffectual attempts to cross the straits between this 

 island and the Semechi Islands, to hunt sea-otters (Enhydris lutris) at the latter place ; the weather has not been so 

 bad during the month of February for several years. 



MARCH, 1881. 



March 1 : Gusty gale from the south ; light snow-fall. — March 2: Heavy snow-fall. — March 3 : Solar halo. — March 

 4 : Moderate snow- fall. —March 6 : Gusty gale from the south ; increased to high storm from northeast ; snow drifted 

 most furiously, a gloomy day ; the very earth trembles under the shocks received from the force of the surf of the 

 violently raging sea. — March 7 : Violent gusts from SW. to SE ; snow fell and drifted furiously.— March 8: Very 

 gusty from SW. to SE. ; snow fell heavily and drifted. — March 9 : Sleet and snow drifted violently. — March 10: Gusty 

 gale from the south; sleet and snow drifted furiously. — March 11: Light sleet and suow squalls. — March 12: Lowest 

 temperature (10°). — March 13 : High gale from E. to NW. ; light snow-fall. — March 14 : Heavy gale outside from the 

 northwest ; snow and sleet fell lightly. — March 15 : Hard storm from the north ; moderate snow with little sleet. — 

 March 16 : Gusty gale from S. to SE. ; snow fell late. — March 17 : Violent gale from SW. to E. ; snow of moderate charac- 

 ter fell, much drifted; sea in terrible commotion. — March 18: Strong gale from N. to NE. ; little snow fell. — March 

 19: Hard storm from N. to NE. ; violent sea; sleet and snow squalls. — March 20: Gale from the northeast ; light 

 snow. — March 21 : Light snow skifts. — March 22: Hard gusts from NW. to S. and NE. ; sleet and snow of moderate 

 character. — March 23: Severe earthquake at 7.04 p. in. ; began as gradual settling then a series of rapidly successive 

 vibrations lasting nineteen seconds. — March 24 : Terrific gale from the southeast; snow and sleet furiously drifted. — 

 March 25 : Light sleet and snow with great gustiness of wind from S. to SE. — March 26 : Large flakes of snow ; light 

 mist.— March 27: Gusty from N. to NE. ; misty. — March 28: Violent sea running; light rain. — March 29: Alight 

 freeze and frost; light rain. — March 31: Light snow changed to rain. 



APEIL, 1881. 



April 1 : Violent hurricane from SW. to SE. ; dashing rain ; all the snow gone from the lower grounds ; arrival 

 of wild geese (Branta canadensis hatchinsii) ; several snow-flakes (Plectrophenax nivalis) were seen to-day; they are 

 not migratory from this island; the greater number of these birds remain throughout the winter but are only rarely 

 seen during that time on the north side of the island. — April 2: Irregular gale from SW. to S. ; rain, snow, and sleet 

 fell moderately ; a severe earthquake of sufficient force to awaken the entire village occurred at 3.15 a. m. ; several 

 vibrations, all from E. to W. — April 3 : Moderate snow and sleet; the party of hunters (19) return fiom the Semechi 

 Islands ; they had but poorest success, having obtained but six sea-otter skins where in former years they secured over 

 a hundred. — April 4 ; Gusty gale from N. to S. via E. ; sleet and snow fell lightly. — April 5 : Hard gale from S. to SE. ; 

 light snow with rain. — April 6: Gusty gale from the east. — April 8: Gusty gale from the south. — April 9: Low gale 

 from the north ; misty in p. m. — April 10 : Moderate rain ; I learn to-day, that swans (Olor columbianus) were in a large 

 flock in the lake near the head of Massacre Bay on the south side of this island. — April 11 : N. to E. gale ; high sea ; 

 moderate rain. — April 12 : High gale from the northeast : light rain with little sleet. — April 13 : Northeast gusty gale ; 

 very high sea running. — April 15 : Light rain with snow. — April 16: Hard rain with snow; variable gale froia the 

 northeast. — April 17 : Low gale from the north ; hard rain with snow. — April 18 : Light rain ; gale from the north. — 

 April 19 : Heavy snow-fall. — April 20: Moderate snow-fall. — April 23: Strong gale from the south. — April 24: Solar 

 halo. — April 25: Light rain. — April 26: Light snow-fall with rain. — April 27: Light rain-fall. April 30 : Light rain. 



S. Mis. 155 7 



