CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE NATURAL HISTORY OF ALASKA. 25 



JANUARY, 1877. 



January 1 : Terrible storm to a hurricane rate of wind from the north ; snow drifted furiously ; bright parhelia 

 and parselenes. — January 2: Terrible storm rate of wind from the north; parhelia and parselenes. — January 3: Very 

 high gale from the north; the arrival of traders from the Kuskokvim River was a pleasant surprise to-day; the 

 traders report much rain and snow; hard rains near the winter solstiec took off all the snow and made the river rise 

 so high that many natives fled to the higher lands ; the month of November, 187c, was very cold and caused much 

 distress among the natives ; along the Yukon delta was much snow and generally mild weather ; fur-bearing animals 

 are reported to be abundant ; these traders express the severity of the wind and cold on the first of this month as being- 

 extreme. — January 5: Pale auroral arch of little change from 8.30 p. in., lastiug until 7.25 a. m. of January 6. — Jan- 

 uary 6: High, gusty gale from N. to NE.; much horizontal mirage during the morning ; auroral haze from 5.10 p. m. 

 toll]), m.— January 8: Moderate snow fell. — January 9: Heavy snow fell. — January 11 : Terrible snow-storm from 

 the high winds driving the recently-fallen snow. — January 12: Light gale from the south ; little snow fell. — January 

 15: Much fine snow sifted during the day. — January 16: Variable gale from the south, with drifting snow. — January 

 17: Strong gale from the south; temperature rose to 41 c ; snow much melted. — January 18: Violent gusts of a hur- 

 ricane rate from the south ; ice carried high on the beach by the tide and wind. — January 20: Extremely beautiful 

 forms of upper clouds to-day were the admiration of all who witnessed them. — January 21: Pale lunar corona. — Jan- 

 uary 22 : Fine snow of delicate prisms sifted from the sky ; pale lunar corona in the evening. — January 23 : Faint halo 

 of 22 degrees around the moon. — January 24 : Faint lunar halo of 22 degrees. — January 25 : Great amount of frost spic- 

 ule deposited on everything ; these spicuhe frequently attain a length of 2 inches and form a beautiful scene when the 

 sun shines on them. — January 27 : Solar and lunar halo of 22 degrees. — January 28 : Parhelia at 11 a. m. — January 30 

 Many frost films in the air. 



FEBRUARY, 1877. 



February 1: Light fog in middle of day; pale, white halo around the sun. — February 2: Temperature, 41°. 5; 

 pale aurora of two arches from 5.24 p. m., obscured by clouds' at 10.30 p.m. — February 3: Pale halo at noon; slight 

 mirage ; pale aurora, with well-defined dark segment from 8.30 p. m. to 10 p.m., and then obscured by clouds. — Feb- 

 ruary 4 : Light to a gusty gale from N. to NE. ; snow drifted furiously ; a bright vertical beam 10 degrees in length 

 passed over the moon's disk in the evening. — February 5 : Solar halo and parhelia. — February 7 : Parhelia at 11 a.m. — 

 February 8: Parhelion at 11 a. in. ; pale auroral arch from 9 p. in. to 11 p. m. — February 9: Many frost films in the 

 air ; parhelia and solar halos. — February 10 : Pale auroral haze from 5.50 p. m. to 11.10 p. m. — February 11 : HaV> of 22 

 degrees around the sun ; beautiful red and gold sunrise ; much mirage. — February 12 : Mirage to a slight degree ; faint 

 parhelion at 2 p. m. ; a pale auroral haze at 7 p. m., increased to form an arch at 9.10 p. m., with several sheets of low 

 intensity below it at the eastern end ; at 9.30 p. m. signs of breaking into two arches with several patches of less 

 intensity trying to form a third arch, at which time only the central arch was perfect ; at 10 p. m. three imperfect 

 arches ; at 11 p. m. three full arches of light intensity ; at 1 a. in. of February 13 a broad arch diffused itself 20 degrees 

 wide and gradually became narrower to fade out of sight at 5 a. m. — February 13 : Auroral haze began at 6 p. m., last- 

 ing until 9 p. m., when it faded out of sight to recur as part of an ellipse and very bright with considerable wavering, 

 lasting until 4 a. m. of February 14. — February 14 : Much horizontal and vertical mirage; three parhelia and a halo 

 from 1 to 4 p. m. ; vertical beam was 8 degrees high at sunset ; contact arch much V-shaped ; pale auroral haze from 

 5.50 to 8.10 p. m. — February 15 : Much snow flying ; mock suns, parhelia, vertical beam, and a halo during the day. — 

 February 17 : Much flying snow ; a vertical beam at sunrise, a pale halo and two parhelia during the day.— February 

 18 : Parhelia and flying snow films ; pale auroral arch from 8.20 p. m. to 11.15 p. m ; minimum temperature 50° to- 

 day ; I learn from natives living on the north side of Norton Sound that the bright meteor of November 17, 1876, was 

 seen all along that coast. — February 19 : Temperature low as — 50°, giving a mean temperature for 'the day of — 45° ; 

 much mirage; pale auroral arch at 9 p. in. — February 21: Auroral arch of coppery color; much vertical and hori- 

 zontal mirage today. — February 22: A beautiful red sunrise. — February 23: Much mirage all day. — February 26 : 

 much mirage in a. m. — February 27 : Miles of mirage ; part of an eclipse of the moon was observed. — February 28 : 

 Much mirage; lunar halo and parselenes at 9 p. m. ; this has been the coldest of all months since I have been here. 



MARCH, 1877. 



March 1: Pale aurora nearly obscured by clouds; two species of flies were seen in the house to-day. — March 4: 

 Much mirage. — March 5: Sudden envelopment of fog from 2.20 p. m. to 5 p. m. — March 6: Much mirage, great 

 amount of frost spiculas on everything}; auroral haze from 9.10 to 10.35 p. m. — March 7 : Much mirage.— March 8 : 

 Brilliant red meteor at 6.40 p. m. in S. 80° W. at an altitude of 20 degrees. — March 9: Much horizontal and little 

 vertical mirage during the day; an auroral light showed through the clouds at 6.25 p. m. and rapidly advanced 

 to 50 degrees south of zenith as a hazy band, with its center over the magnetic meridian ; then a clear space of 20 

 degrees wide; at 5 degrees south of zenith a broad, swaying hand of 25 degrees wide, composed of vertical beams, 

 rushed over the sky from east to west and vice versa with such rapidity that it was at times hardly credible; at 7.20 p. 

 m. an attempt was made to form an auroral corona of broken, scattered beams, which whirled in the zenith like a 

 whirlpool of water; some of the beams revolving twice round the center, lasting only a minute, to burst out with a 

 flash to scamper off to the westward, where the end of the arch was extremely bright; violet, green, blue, red, and 

 d ifferent shades of yellow were seen in this display ; at 8 p. m. a broad, surging band of 15 degrees was holding across the 

 zenith from east to west, with beams dancing along its length ; at 9 p. m. the aurora was nearly spent and at midnight 

 S. Mis. 155- 3 



