26 CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE NATTJEAL HISTOEY OF ALASKA. 



was presenting only a faint color, becoming obscured by the clouds. — March 10: A low auroral arch from 9 p. m. to 

 11.20p. m. — March 11 : Auroral arch from 9.25 p. m. ; to 11.50 p. m. ; much mirage. — March 12: Very strong mirage. — 

 March 13: Aurora seen through the clouds; mirage at 7 a. m. — March 15: Much mirage. — March 19: Ecd-poll linnets 

 (Acanlhis) came to the redoubt to-day; these birds are residents of this vicinity and are only migratory according to 

 the exigency of the weather. — March 20: Much mirage. — March 23: Mirage; aurora of five arches; moonlight too 

 bright to allow much intensity of color in the aurora. — March 24: Lunar corona. — March 30: Slight spits of snow. — 

 March 31: Light gale and gusty from NE.to SE. 



APRIL, 1877. 



April 1 : Snow much melted, ground quite bare. — April 2 : Snow fell abundantly on the hill-tops, with rain in the 

 valleys. — April 3 : Light rains. — April 4 : Light snow ; strong gale from E. to SE. — April 5 : Light gale from S. to SE. ; 

 ptarmigans and red-poll linnets are quite plentiful ; much of the snow has melted; little snow in large flakes fell. — 

 April 6 : Blue-bottle flies were humming round the houses to-day. — April 7 : Auroral arch from 8.40 to 11 p. m. — April 

 8 : Auroral arch from 8.20 to 9.40 p. in., and obscured. — April 9: Snow fell late in p. m. — April 10: Strong gu6ty gale 

 from north. —April 11 : Strong gale from N. to NE ; sleet fell in small amounts.— April 12 : Light snow-fall.— April 13 : 

 Sleet and rain of light character. — April 14 : Several spits of snow fell, harder on the hills. — April 17: Parhelia and a 

 halo with faint contact arcs. — April 18 : Faint aurora at 11 p. m. — April 19: Solar halo of 22 degrees at 2 p. m ; gulls 

 are reported to be plentiful outside of Stewart's Island. — April 20 : Arrival of a trader from Nulato, on the Yukon River; 

 states that the portage between that place and here is nearly bare of sno^; the creeks and other streams are full of 

 water ; that ducks and gulls were seen in that vicinity. — April 21 : Light gale from NE. to SE. ; heavy rain in the 

 distance. — April 22: Gusty gale from SE. to S. ; heavy showers of rain.— April 23: Gale rate of wind from the south ; 

 rain fell heavily in the distance. — April 24 : The snow has disappeared as if magic; much vertical mirage; a mos- 

 quito was seen to-day ; gulls (Larus lawovianmis) were seen flying high in the air to-day ; halo round the moon. — April 25 : 

 Arrival of a trader from the Lower Yukon ; reports warm weather with much rain ; geese and other water birds are 

 plentiful in that vicinity. — April 27: Several pairs of geese have been seen to day; I think the absence of snow does 

 not favor the arrival of the geese. — April 28: First appearance of the Lapland long-spur (Calcarius lapponicus) 

 to-day. — April 29: Parhelia with considerable "tails" were seen to-day; mirage of varying amounts; a pair of 

 ducks was seen ; the first goose w*as brought in to-day. — April 30 : Many species of ducks, geese, snipe, and other 

 water birds have arrived within the last week ; several species of insects-.have also been observed ; it is considered 

 to be a very open spring. 



MAY, 1877. 



May 2 : Halos, parhelia, and contact arcs with a parhelic circle ; the halos of 22 and 46 degrees were well developed ; 

 parhelia at 15, 22, 30, 46, and 90 degrees ; the anthelion was extremely bright ; the parhelia at 22 degrees were so bright 

 as to rival the sun in splendor. — May 3 : Strong gale from N. to NE. — May 5 : Light rain. — May 6 : Light gale from SE. 

 to S ; several spits of snow. — May 7 : High storm from the south; snow-squalls frequent. — May 8: High gale from 

 E. to SE., with light rain. — May 10: Light rain; ice formed in the night. — May 11: Light snow; ice formed last 

 night. — May 12: Ice breaking off aud going out to seaward; little ice made in the fresh-water pools. — May 13 : 

 Heavy snow on the high hills ; sea is reported to be free from ice about 10 miles distant. — May 14 : Much vertical 

 mirage. — May 15: Rain and snow fell; ice made in the night. — May 17: Sleet in slight amounts fell. — May 18: Sleet- 

 squalls ; ice rapidly going out. — May 19: Gusty gale from the southeast; ice all gone. — May 20: Ice-jam in the 

 bay. — May 21: Sleet-squalls prevailed. — May 22 : Light rain; very gusty at times; arrival of swallows (Chelidon 

 trythrogaster). — May 28: Several peals of loud thunder and vivid flashes of lightning in the distance; few drops of 

 rain ; brownish haze has prevailed for several days. 



JUNE, 1877. 



Junel: Ice moving in from the northeast and northwest; halo, parhelia, and contact arc. — June 2: Ice to 

 southward all gone. — June 4 : Light rain, fog later. — June 5 : Foggy early. — June 6 : Ice all gone from sight ; salmon 

 are reported to be plentiful outside the island. — June 9 : Rain and hail ; a single peal of thunder. — June 10 : Foggy . 

 vegetation rapidly springing up.— June 11 : Traders from the upper part of the district arrive; reports of early 

 spring throughout the district. — June 16: Many peals of thunder; rain at noon. — June 17: Herrings are plentiful 

 in the bay. — June 19: Arrival of schooner General Miller from San Francisco via Unalashka. — June 20 : Arrival of 

 Loleta from San Francisco. — June 27 : Very hard rain. — June 28 : Moderate rain. 



JULY, 1877. 



July 2: Light rain. — July 3: Moderate rain. — July 5: High winds. — July 6 : Frost, gusty gale from the east. — 

 July 7 : Moderate gale from S. to W.— July 8: Irregular rains. — July 10: Light showers at intervals. — July 11 : Light 

 rain. — July 12: Heavy rain. — July 14 : High winds; arrival of steamer St. Paul ; orders received from the Office of 

 the Chief Signal Officer, U. S. Army, directing me to turn over all property of the United States in my possession to 

 Private E. W. Nelson, Signal Corps, U. S. Army, and relieving me from duty at this station ; all property was turned 

 over and I proceeded to San Francisco and thence to Washington, D. C. 



The following considerations of the meteorology of the vicinity of Saint Michael, Alaska, are 

 intended to convey a general description of the principal features incident to this area. Though 



