ing stripes of this marvellous pavilion, there came broad flushes of the richest crimson light, at first at intervals, and then more permanently, until it suffused all the upper part of the sky and the whole southern quarter except a narrow space next the horizon, where only a few faint streamers were to be discerned.

"These phenomena continued with little abatement of splendour for about half an hour, the light diminishing somewhat in the lower part of the sky, especially towards the north and south, but still glowing in changeful beams with broader flashes of crimson and gold over a wide space around the magnetic pole.

"At 10.15, the general illumination had ceased, but broad masses of rose and yellow light still hung over the eastern quarter, and less distinctly in the west, while pulsating beams continued to play at intervals around the magnetic pole, and to flash over other parts of the sky. At 10.30, nothing remained of this wonderful spectacle but a faint auroral arch low down in the north, accompanied by a few dim streamers.

"At this time I discontinued my observations; but from the reports of others, it appears that the phenomena recurred in great splendour between one and two o'clock in the morning (29th), when the crimson colour was particularly remarkable. Still later, at 3.30, I saw a fine auroral arch in the north, with a long arra yof streamers rising from it.

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During the evening, when the illumination was at its height, the light was so great, that several of my friends, standing out on the lawn, were able to read with ease the ordinary small print of a newspaper. As the evening advanced, the breeze from west by north, at first feeble, became quite strong. At 9 P.M., the barometer marked 29.5 and falling, and the thermometer 56°, an unusually low temperature for the season.

"Aurora of the night of September 2.

Early on the day of the 2d, the wind became strong from west, with a light haze. Barometer 29-2, lower than for many days. Temperature at 10 A.M. 60°. As the day advanced the wind veered to north-west, the air growing clear and showing scattered cirrus and cirro-cumulus clouds. A clear sunset was

followed by a peculiar greenish and purplish light extending round the horizon, even beyond the north. Over the northeast quarter, the air, to the height of thirty degrees, had a dark opacity, unlike that caused by mist or cloud, but rather resembling a shadow, and yet having the effect of arresting the light coming from beyond.

"At 7.30, an irregular, obscure space began to form along the northern horizon, and a faint flush of whitish light to appear at a point a little north of east.

"At 7.50, a faint arch of white light made its appearance, resting on the horizon a little north of the east and west points, and culminating some distance below the pole-star. This continued to rise until 8 P.M., when its apex was within a few degrees of the pole. At this time two broad but faint beams extended from the ends of the arch towards a point a little south of the zenith, forming a second but much fainter arch. Within the northern arch appeared a narrower luminous band, concentric with the exterior curve, and separated from it by a dark opaque space. Between this and the horizon there was an obscure tract traversed by faint, vertical beams, which terminated at the inner luminous arch. (See fig. 1, Plate III.)

"At 8.10, the arch had declined to about two-thirds the height of the pole, but was very symmetrical and distinct, displaying the inner concentric band and some streams in the dark space below, but none rising from the east and west extremities.

"At 8.15, a long, bright streamer shot out from the west end, while the other extremity became suffused by a broad mass of light, giving forth another streamer. The two concentric arches, verging into the luminous space, still retained their regular form throughout the rest of their length.

"At 8.20, the inner luminous curve had vanished, and the eastern end of the arch was replaced for a considerable distance by a broad mass of light, giving origin to several streamers. (See fig. 2, Plate III.) It now slowly descended and faded, until at 8.35 it began again to rise and to acquire more distinctness.

"At 8.40, the top of the arch reached nearly to the pole-star, the east limb had resumed its regular form, and the west limb

was replaced by an irregular space without distinct streamers. but displaying an intermitting or pulsating light.

"At 8.45, the arch had declined in height, and was so faint as to be hardly visible except at the flanks.

"At 9 P.M., it had grown luminous throughout, had ascended a little, and developed a faint inner arch, while occasional streamers rose from the eastern end, now broken and irregular. Soon they vanished, while others shot up from the western extremity. The upper are became irregular from the effusion of dim waves of light upward. (See fig. 3, Plate III.)

"At 9.7, the inner arch below the broad irregular zone of light had become strongly luminous throughout, forming a narrow concentric curve, extending to the horizon on both sides. The apex of the outer curve was less than half the height of the pole. No streamers were visible within or near the arch.

"At 9.20, the inner arch had vanished, the upper are at the same time becoming higher and fainter by diffusion, while dim streamers appeared on the horizon near the western extremity. Presently a low, luminous segment showed itself on the horizon beneath the arch; the latter now resolved itself into an array of bright streamers, with equidistant shadowy spaces between them, to which was quickly added a similar array of short streamers beneath. (See fig. 4, Plate III.)

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In a moment the streamers began to shoot upwards to a great height, and to exhibit, first in the eastern quarter and then at various points, flashes of crimson and golden light, while near the horizon at one or two places stripes of prismatic colour gleamed for a few seconds, looking like bright fragments of a rainbow.

"At 9.30, the streamers had extended and grown brighter, while the low luminous segment, diffusing itself upward, had merged into the outer arch, which now reached nearly to the pole-star. At this moment the arch began to send off successive waves of light, rapidly following one another towards and beyond the zenith, some of which could be distinctly traced as great continuous curves, resting on the eastern and western points of the horizon, and moving as if they revolved about a diameter connecting these points.

"At one time two of these vast arch-like waves were seen at

the same moment, the one following the other at no great distance as they swept upwards and across the zenith.

"In a few seconds, however, this phasis of the wave movement gave place to more rapid and seemingly broken pulsations, flitting upwards in close succession through the northern, eastern, and western quarters of the sky, and visible, though less distinctly, in the south. This wonderful appearance, though difficult to follow in its details, exhibited everywhere a convergency of the lines of motion towards a point considerably south of the zenith, and seemingly correspondent to the upward direction of the dip-needle.

"At one moment bright streamers shooting from the horizon would meet at this spot, returning for an instant a nearly continuous illumination throughout their length, at another they glowed chiefly towards their upper part, where they united to form the auroral crown.

"When these luminous phenomena were at their height, every spot to which the eye was directed, except the southern quarter near the horizon, was traversed by quickly successive flashes of white, greenish, and pale roseate light, all seemingly moving upwards, and presenting, when viewed together, the appearance of alternate spaces of illumination and obscurity chasing one another along the great streamers converging towards the magnetic pole.

"These upward pulsations of light seemed to be a phenomenon distinct from that of the streamers themselves, which appeared to be comparatively stationary, though but indistinctly and partially visible.

"As this impressive effusion of light went on, the northern arch broke up into an irregular faintly luminous space, but quickly the low dark segment on the horizon expanded, and another arch began to be developed, partly within and partly above it.

"At 9.57, this double arch was complete. The pulsations were not observed in or above it, but continued in other parts. of the sky, especially in the eastern quarter, where they seemed, as before described, to illuminate alternate spaces along the comparatively stationary streamers, which were only dimly discerned in their absence.

"At 10.3, the arch had become triple by the appearance of

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a third luminous bow within the dark segment. The uppermost curve now shot forth numerous streamers, and was quickly lost, leaving a double arch of great symmetry and brightness. In a few seconds short equidistant streamers formed in the dark spaces between the two concentric arches, and soon extending outwards, obliterated the external bow, leaving the inner one single with a superb tiara of radiations.

"At 10.17, faint beams were seen converging towards the magnetic pole, accompanied by occasional pulsations. The streamers in the north had nearly disappeared, and the space beneath had assumed the form of a dark segment of great height with a single luminous margin.

"At 10.20, the arch was very bright and showed prismatic bands near its western end, beyond which arose a broad roseate beam, extending more than half way to the zenith. Pulsations were seen within and above the arch, and also near the magnetic pole.

"At 10.30, the dark segment below presented three bright concentric bands. Above was a luminous arch wider than usual; and exterior to all, another but less brilliant one, from which numerous streamers seemed to arise. Again a superb flush of crimson light was diffused from the north-west, while prismatic colours made their appearance in the near extremity of the arch, accompanied by a renewal of the pulsations in that region. Meanwhile the inner and outer arches coalescing, became divided into a series of luminous prisms, and in a moment the pulsating movement extended over all the northern and part of the southern half of the sky. Innumerable waves of white, yellowish, and purplish light chased each other from every quarter towards the magnetic pole, while the crimson flush before referred to spread wider and higher from the west. This grand display was marked as before by a breaking up of the luminous arch in the north, where in a few minutes there remained only a dark segment near the horizon.

"At 10.45, this latter had risen a little, and resumed its luminous bordering; while faint beams, seemingly made visible by pulsations running along their length, were seen to the south of the magnetic pole, as well as in other quarters. At this time the margin of the dark segment extended over Capella, and quite extinguished its light.