CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE NATURAL HISTORY OF ALASKA. 23 



APRIL, 1876. 



April 1: Slight melting.— April 2: Melting in middle of day.— April 3: Much snow drifted to-day.— April 4: 

 Snow melted greatly. — April 5: Light gale, and drifting snow from the southwest. — April 6 : Considerable fog over 

 the hills. — April 7 : Mirage of slight intensity.— April 8 : Much vertical mirage.— April 9 : Considerable thaw to-day. — 

 April 10: Light gale from the northeast. — April 11: Deposits of frost on everything. — April 13: Much thaw in 

 middle of day. — April 15: Light snow in thin films fell. — April 17: Pale solar halo with parhelia. — April 18: Much 

 melting of snow. — April 20: Gusty gale from NE. to E. ; much thaw. — April 21 : Light gale from E. to SE.— April 



22 : Several of the imperfectly migratory birds have become quite numerous, such as Lagopus lagopus, Acanthis linaria, 

 and Plectroplienax -nivalis ; much melting of the snow brings these birds to the coast. — April 23 : Heavy fall of snow ; 

 traders report the snow of [the interior to be rapidly melting. — April 24: Much fine snow fell. — April 25: Large flakes 

 of snow fell abundantly. — April 26: Extremely heavy fall of large snow-flakes; I observed a chickadee on one of 

 the houses. — April 27 : Arrival of a trader, from the Kuskokvim Eiver, who reports the appearance of geese and ducks in 

 that vicinity. — April 30 : Much snow having fallen in the past week has prevented migratory birds from appearing. 



MAY, 1876. 



May 1 : A light gale from the north. — May 2 : Much snow fell and drifted. — May 3 : Strong gale from the 

 north. — May 4: Arrival of a trader, who reports warm, spring-like weather at the Yukon delta, with an abundance of 

 geese and ducks. — May 9 : Arrival of the first geese. — May 13 : Lowest barometer read 28.740 to day. — May 25 : Snow 

 has nearly all gone ; ice in the bay and to seaward is nearly all gone. 



JUNE, 1876. 



Juue 9: Gusty gale from S. to SW. — June 11: Much ice returned to the bay. — June 12: Dense fog; whales, 

 Orca pacifica{1), were seen in the large hole in the ice in the bay. — June 13: Light gale from the southwest; dense fog 

 prevailed. — June 14 : Dense fog ; ice in the bay nearly gone. — June 16 ; Dense fog ; several white whales, Delphinapterus 

 catodon, were seen to-day; herring came at 6 a. m. to-day in great numbers. — June 17: Ice still remains in the 

 vicinity. — June 18: Dense fog. — June 19: Light raiu ; dense fog in p. m; much ice, in the form of a belt, at sea.— 

 June 20: Rain of light character; we planted garden-seeds May 28; the young vegetables look very promising. — 

 June 21: Densest fog. — June 23: Traders from the head of the Yukon district arrived to-day. — June 24 : Dense fog. — 

 June 25: Arrival of a vessel from San Francisco; the remainder of the boats belonging to the different trading 

 stations of this district arrived to-day. — June 28: Hard, dashing rain, -accompanied by thunder and lightning ; 

 temperature rose to 75° ; arrival of steamer St. Paul. — June 30 : Hard raiu, with thunder and lightning. 



JULY, 1876. 



July 1 : Light rain ; mist in middle of day. — July 2 : Gusty gale from N. to NE. ; heavy rain fell. — July 4 : Light 

 gale from SE. to S. ; light shower of rain. — July 10: Very high tide at 8.40 a. m. — July 11: Dense fog. — July 14: 

 Very gusty gale. — July 15: Light to moderate raiu. — July 16: Gusty gale from the southeast. — July 17 : Light gale 

 from the southeast. — July 18: Strong gale from the south. — July 19: Hard, gusty gale from the south; light 

 showers. — July 20: Gusty storm of wind and rain from S. to E. — July 21: Gusty gale from SE. to S. ; intervals of 

 jight rain. — July 22 : Light rains ; the boats loaded for the distant stations of this district have "been detained eleven 

 days by the strong winds. — July 26: Light raiu. — July 30: Rather hard rains. — July 31 : Moderate rain at intervals. 



AUGUST, 1876. 



August 2: Rain of hard character. — August 3: Rain of light character. — August 4: Showery iu p. m. — August 5: 

 Hard dash of rain fell as snow on the hills. — August 6: Frost during the night. — August 10: Light rain. — August 11: 

 Moderate rain. — August 12: Hard dash of rain. — August 13: Halo around sun. — August 14: Light rain; gusty gale 

 from N. to NW, — August 17: Light rain. — August 18: Moderate rain. — August 19: Light rain; very high tide at 

 7.10 a. m. — August 20 : Light to hard rain ; very gusty from the southwest. — August 21 : Misty rain ; great numbers 

 of migratory birds have departed within the past week ; the list includes terns, sparrows, and swallows. — August 



23 : Heavy dew. — August 25 : During the past ten days we have enjoyed an abuudar ce of bine- berries, salmon-berries, 

 and cow-berries, forming an agreeable addition to our plain fare. — August 27 : Several boats arrived from the Yukon 

 delta ; the men report much rain during this month. — August 29 : Dense fog in a. m. ; bright display of aurora this 

 evening, forming a complete veil over the northern heavens, notable for the rapid changes from one form to another ; 

 the aurora was so low that a dense cumulo stratus cloud was visible beyond the aurora at times. 



SEPTEMBER, 1876. 



September 1 : Light rain in p. in. — September 2 : Moderate rain in p. m.— September 3 : Heavy showers in night. — 

 September 4: Gusty gale from E. to S. ; hard dashes of rain. — September 5: Gentle showers to moderate rain. — Sep- 

 tember 6 : Moderate rain. — September 7': Light showers. — September 11: Light rain. — September 12 : Fine display of 

 upper clouds.— September 13: Surging gale from SE. to S. ; very high tide. — September 14: Light gale from the 

 southeast. — September 15 : Heavy rain. — September 16 : Light rain. — September 17 : Very disagreeable and damp. — ■ 

 September 18: Light rains. — September 19: Drizzly rains; snow fell on the hills. — September 20: Light rains. — 

 September 21 : Light rain; heavy snow fell on the hills. — September 22 : Moderate rain. — September 23: Few pellets 



