24 CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE NATURAL HISTORY OF ALASKA. 



of sleet fell; sharp freeze; ice nearly half an inch thick on the fresh-water pools. — September 25 : A faint auroral 

 glow from 8 p. m. to 10 p. m. — September 26: Light spit of snow; brilliant aurora. — September 27: Light rains; 

 aurora of yesterday continued until 4 a. in. of to-day. — September 28 : Solar halo of 22 degrees; frost and ice. — Sep- 

 tember 30 : Heavy snow fell to the eastward. 



OCTOBEE, 1876. 



October 1 : Solar and lunar halo. — October 2 : Light gale from NE. to E. ; moderate rain in p. m. — October 3 : 

 Heavy rain; high tide. — October 4 : Light to moderate rain.— October 5: Fog in p. m. ; large flock (about seventy- 

 five individuals) of Sabine gulls (Xema sabinii) flew past this place and to the northward; this'is a rare bird in 

 this vicinity, and rarely more than one individual is seen at a time. — October 6: Densest fog ; light spit of snow. — 

 October 7 : Rain of light character began late in night. — October 8: Moderate to hard rain; very low tide ; water 

 15£ feet below mean tide. — October 10 : Unusually brilliant aurora, greatly obscured by clouds ; rain late in p. m. — 

 October 11 : Moderate rain. — October 15: Gusty gale from the north; faint aurora in evening. — October 16: Gusty 

 gale from the north. — October 16 : Two to three inches of ice on the lakes ; ice has also formed where the sea-spray has 

 dashed on the rocks of the beach. — October 18 : Great numbers of large gulls (Larus barroviannus and leucopterus) have 

 been seen to-day. — October 20 : Brilliant aurora revealed through a rift in the clouds. — October 24 : Several gulls of 

 the species mentioned October 18 have been seen to-day. — October 26 : Light spit of snow. — October 28 : The gulls 

 previously mentioned have been numerous to-day. — October 29: Ice beginning to form in the bay. — October 31 : Ice 

 formed on the bay so thick that a couple of people crossed on it. 



NOVEMBER, 1876. 



November 1: Strong gusty gale from S. to SE. ; ice in the bay taken out by the wind ; rain and sleet of light 

 character. — November 4 : Light gale from NW. to N. ; snow fell heavily in the distance ; ice in the bay forming 

 rapidly. — November 5: Low gale from the north. — November 7: Strong gale from the south ; a larger part of the ice 

 was carried out ; snow fell and drifted. — November 8 : Snow late in p. m. — November 9 : Misty, freezing to the grasses 

 and weeds ; ice again went out of the bay. — November 10 : Misty, with intervals of snow-squalls. — November 12 : 

 Aurora began to show at 5.24 p. m. as a light haziness, which gradually became denser, forming an arch at 7.10 p. m., 

 on which beams danced with incredible velocity from E. to W. and vice versa, with an irregular flapping up and down ; 

 the colors were pale greenish-yellow above and deep purple below; the ceuter of the arch for its entire length was 

 yellowish, with a margin of about 16 degrees in width of green to deepest yellow, while below, for about 25 degrees, 

 the edging was blue, green, purple, red, and yellow at different times; when an intense wave would start from near 

 the eastern end and rush rapidly along the arch all the colors listed above would shine vividly and in such quick 

 succession that it was at times impossible to keep account of their changes; the dark segment was ill-defined ; the 

 display lasted until 11.50 p. m. — November 15: Pale aurora from 6.10 p. m. to 9.25 p. m. — November 16: Pale aurora 

 from 6.20 p. m. to 10 p. m. — November 17 : Pale aurora formed an arch, lasting from 5.50 to 11.10 p. m. ; at 4.24 p. m. 

 I was startled by two flashes of light, which, to a great degree, dimmed the flame of an argand burner on the lamp ; 

 I immediately ran to the window to look for fire, but seeing none, I rushed out of the house, and looking in the W. 

 NW. , i. e., 23° N. of W., saw an irregular streak of fire perpendicular to the earth; below this was a second and a 

 third below that; the first streak at an altitude of 28°, and was about 2°.5 long and 12' wide, then at a space of 3° 

 began the second or middle streak, having the same length and width as the upper ; the third or lower was like the 

 middle streak, excepting it was shorter and much brighter; all had the peculiar bright white light of the sun, not 

 yellowish, like the moon ; I immediately ran to tell Mr. Neumann, who lives in the next house ; he was hunting his 

 hat to come and tell me that he had seen it fall ; he described it as descending slowly in a zigzag manner, as indi- 

 ated by its path, and that it seemed to swell and shrink in size in falling; he described the size of the meteor to 

 be about the size of the moon, and that the outlines were very irregular ; we watched the light from 4.24 p. m. 

 to 5 p. m., at which time the upper streak had faded out of sight; the middle streak had moved westward (nearly 

 northward) 10 degrees and was now inclined to the horizon ; the third or lower streak was also-inclined to the horizon, 

 and moving to the westward ; the middle one had now taken the exact shape of the hull of a large vessel, and was 

 plainly distinguishable as well-defiued cirri streaks in daytime; the lower streak faded out at 5.35 p. m. ; the middle 

 or hull-shaped one lasted until 5.46 p. m., or a total time of one hour and twenty-two minutes; this meteor was 

 witnessed by three white men, including myself; many natives also saw the meteor, and were greatly frightened. — 

 November 18: Auroral haze in early evening, obscured by clouds. — November 20: Light spit of snow. — November 25: 

 Pale halos and parselenes.— November 26: Air full of frozen vapor, making a pale halo and parhelia; a pale aurora 

 from 7 to 7.25 a. m. ; pale auroral arch at 6.25 p. m. — November 27: Aurora of yesterday evening continued until 7.30 

 a. m. to-day. — November 30 : Lunar halo all night. 



DECEMBER, 1876. 



December 1: Much snow flying. — December 2: Cold, gusty gale from the north; snow flying; imperfect solar 

 halo and parhelia. — December 7: Strong gale from the south; much drifting snow. — December 9: Snow fell and 

 instantly drifted. — December 11: Strong gale from the northeast ; snow drifted furiously; pale aurora from 5.10 to 

 8.10 p, m. — December 15: Air full of frost spiculse ; snow fell. — December 18: Faint auroral glow hidden by clouds. 

 — December 20: Strong gusty gale from the south. — December 21 : Strong gale from N. to NE.; Snow and rain fell, 

 light in character. — December 26: Brilliant lunar coronse. — December 27: Much mirage. — December 30: Air full of 

 frost films. — December 31 : Parhelia at noon. 



