Even the Puritans might have lost the black-and-white color scheme, thrown on a lei and put "Little Duece Coup" on the Sony if they had experienced yesterday in Cambridge.

Or perhaps the dour Harvard founders would have simply started UC Santa Cruz instead, because the Boston weather yesterday seemed more like the California school's traditional climate than the normal chilly New England rain.

The sunny, clear day had a record-breaking 77 degree temperature high.

"Even the squirrels seem friskier," said one river-side runner.

Cambridge residents and overstressed students took advantage of the small weather miracle, filling all of Harvard's grassy patches with lounging bodies. Exercise, general relaxation and futile studying efforts seemed to be the activities of choice.

"I feel like I go to Stanford today," said Will W. Minton '95. "There's some people who say that a tropical island should be put on Cambridge, it can get so cold. This is the last precious moment before the hostility of winter comes."

Some students' relaxation efforts were helped by the fortuitous cancellation of Literature and Arts B-39, "Michelangelo," which held no lecture yesterday.

Boardman Professor of Fine Arts John K. Shearman said he was sick, however, and not playing hooky.

It's so sad that I was not sailing in my boat outside," he said.

For some unused to the local climate, the change was especially welcome.

"I've lived in Dallas all my life, and I've been dying with the cold, gray, and rain," said Elizabeth E. Rodriguez '97. "I've never done winter before. I'm going to stay out as long asthe sun is out."

In the spirit of intellectual inquiry, a fewsun worshippers tried to figure out where theunforseen gift came from. Some attributed theunseasonably high temperature to global warming.

Robert S. Bourne, a Wayland gardener, remembersan earlier warm spurt in December of 1990 and saidhe believes that a warming trend exists.

"I do think that warming has to do with how manis treating the Earth," Bourne said. "With thefloods in the Midwest, the blizzard last year, theheat in the South, something is definitelystrange."

But in this case, the much-lamented greenhouseeffect came in for some praise.

"My friend and I were saying this morning howwe were loving the greenhouse effect. It's thebest invention next to sliced bread," joked NancyLondon, a student at the Extension School.

But to many people, the weather remains amystery that should be enjoyed, not questioned.

"It's my birthday, so I want to think of it asmy gift," said Elizabeth A. Walker '95