50 
IV. 
MARCH 1st. 
" Sundog." — Insects. — Pine Grosbeak. — White-winged Crossbill. — Com- 
mon Crossbill. — Pine Finch. — Tree Sparrow. — Golden Eye. — Snow 
Owl. — Masuippi River. — American Hare. — Operation of "Twisting." 
— Moose. — Anecdote. 
Charles. — A few evenings ago, I observed a curious 
phenomenon : about half an hour before sunset, the sun 
being about 4° above the horizon, at the distance of about 
22° on each side was a fragment of a halo^ marked with 
the prismatic colours; each arc resting on the horizon, 
somewhat like a pillar of coloured light : the red rays were 
next the sun, the green, blue, violet, and indigo were very 
faint, yet perceptible : the height to which the arcs extended 
from the horizon was about 6°^ but they were not quite 
uniform in this respect. The sky was bright and cloudless, 
except a slight haze in the west, near the horizon, sufficient 
to cast a dimness over the distant mountains. The day 
had been very cold, the thermometer in the morning soon 
after sunrise standing at 17° below zero. As the sun ap- 
proached the horizon, the meteor became fainter ; and gra- 
dually disappeared, when the sun was sunk. 
Father. — The phenomenon is not uncommon : I have 
seen it about sunrise as well as in the evening : the common 
people call it a ^''sundog." I do not know that it differs 
from a common halo, except in having the prismatic colours, 
which I am not meteorologist enough to explain. The tints 
of a rainbow are caused by each falling drop of rain decom- 
