The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1875-04-15
RED SNOW.

The phenomenon OF red snow WAS ap-
parently known to the anciants, as Ar
istotle refers to it in his writings; but,
from his time until 1860, it received ut
tie or no attention. At the latter date,
Saussure made a chemical examination
of specimens obtained from the Appen-
ines, from which he concluded that the
red color was owing to some vegetable
substance, probably the pollen Of a
plant Nothing further was discovered
IN reference to the matter until Capt
Ross found a large patch of red snow
extending over range of cliffs on the
shore of Baffins Bay. 1t covered a
space OF eight miles III length, and Ia
some places Redeemed the SHOW to depth
of u feet. On the return of Capt. Ross,
in 1919, he sent specimens of this col
ored snow to Robert Brown and FRANCIS
Bauer.
The former gave it as his opinion that
the coloring matter was un1cellular
plant Of the order Algoe; while Bauer
pronounced it species Of fungus, IRE
0in5uaks. Bauer made many interest
ing experiments, with the plant, among
which was an attempt to propagate It,
He placed some of the red snow now
white from exposure to the all, in glass
vessel containing ordinary snow, and, mix
ing the two well together, exposed the
vessel to the open air. The weather
was extremely cold, it being December,
and the coloring matter gradually chang
ed from white to pink, and finally to red,
at the same time increasing III quant1-
ty. Again, he placed small amount OF
red upon fresh snow, and, the tempera-
ture being low, there was a still greater
increase of the plant. These experiments
led Bauer to conclude that the plant be-
came green before it niatured, and that,
on exposure to the air alone, 1t lost its
red color.
In 1923 Baron Wrangel declared the
plant to belong TO the lichens, naming it
Leorasia Kernaesaasia. Two years after,
Dr. Greville, of Edinburg, obtained
specimens from the Island of Lismore !;
and he, with Agardh, sustained the de-
cision of Brown. Later, Sir William
Hooker confirmed their views, giving
the plant the name of Pamela sa5Ualis,
although Agardh had previously called
it PrOtOcOccUS 72GC0t5S.
But the nature of red snow was not
yet definitely settled. In 1889, Mr..
Shuttleworth examined specimens with
presence of animalcules. Hence he de-
clared that the so-called plant was really
an animal. The following year, Prof. Ag-
ASST entered into the discussion, and,
procuring red snow from the glacier of
Aar, in the Alps, discovered four addi-
tional species of animalcules, and con-
frmed the conclusions of DR.. Shuttle
worth, Tt has since, however, been sat
isfactorily demonstrated that the ProtO-
coccus is purely vegetable organism,
and that its place is in the lowest family
of plants, the PaInaellacg. In it's ma
ture state, it consists ''of brilliant glo-
bules, like fine garnets, seated on, but
not immersed in, a gelatinous mass.
All the members of the PaInaetI0ceoe
propagate by termination, sending forth
tubular flaments from their cells. The
extremities of these flaments dilate into
new cells, which finally cease their con-
nection with the parent plant and be-
come Independent individuals. The
young cells have for short time re-
markabIe powers OF motion, owing to
the rapid vibration of the ella (fine
hair) with which they are furnished.
This power of motion soon ceases, and
then the new cells are mature, and ready
themselves to reproduce by segmenta-
ton.
Red snow is found above S3 deg.
north latitude, and as far south as New
Shetland, IN 70 deg. south latitude.
Parry found it on the ice fields of Spitz
bergen, and Kane met with it on ice
foes so miles from land. Tt occurs on
mountains above the snow-line, and has
recently been found upon the SUBMITS
of the Sierra Nevada. at height of
10000 feet above the sea.
Anothe species of the genius Proto-
coccus the p. plueials, is found in
stagnant rain-water. Its color is usually
green, but occasionally it is red. The
young cells often send forth two vibra-
tory ella, by means of which they move
with considerable rapidity. If dried
slowly, this plant retains vitality, and
resumes its functions on being again
moistened.