On the Question of Annual Meteoric Display. 29 



p.m., which sent forth dartings of white light, which appeared 

 not much unlike that beautiful playful lightning often wit- 

 nessed on a clear summer's evening. A little before 9 p. m. 

 columns of white light shot up from an immense arc, about 

 30° of altitude, which was stretched across the horizon from 

 n.w. to n.n.e. This luminous arc appeared to form a part of a 

 circle, the greater portion of which was below the horizon, 

 and of which, I should suppose, the sun formed the centre, as 

 the arc gradually moved towards the east, and at the same time 

 diminished in its altitude, as the aurora became more faint : 

 few traces were left at 11 p.m. The streams of light, which 

 "reared their heads" as high as the zenith (and sometimes be- 

 yond), and which issued from the arc, and sometimes from 

 within it, followed each other in swift undulatory motion, 

 stretched from w. to the Pleiades, over which it appeared 

 sometimes as if a veil of the finest texture was thrown, as 

 they were perfectly visible through it. Few, if any, of the 

 columns were tinged with colour. Rain followed on Friday 

 morning, when the massive clouds that followed indicated a 

 stormy atmosphere. 



The meteoric Shower ', expected about the 12th of the present 

 month, I fear has not been very distinctly seen this year. I 

 have only seen one meteor, and that was on the night of the 

 12th, at 10 minutes before 11 p.m. It appeared near the 

 North Pole Star, and passed off just below the Pleiades, 

 leaving a short train of light behind. Evenings were generally 

 cloudy and unfit for observation. 



Old Kent Road, Nov. 20. 1835. 



Art. X. Notices of Facts in Application to the Question of the 

 Occurrence of an extraordinary Display of Meteors every Year, 

 on about Nov. 13.; and on the Displays of Aurora on Nov. 17. 

 18-19. 1835. By the Rev. W. B. Clarke, A.M. F.G.S., &c. 



There was no meteoric display seen here on the night of 

 Nov. 12-13. 1835, nor on any preceding or succeeding night 

 up to this date. The sky was clear and favourable on the 

 1 2th, 1 3th, and 1 4th : it had been for several days obscured, 

 as also on the 1 5th and 1 7th. The wind in the east, and 

 north-east, and north, from the 10th to the 17th; on the 17th 

 it came from the west : the cold previously inconvenient to 

 the feelings; thermometer exposed, 35° to 50° at noon. On 

 the 6th, at 7 J a. m., a splendid meteor was seen at Bristol, in 

 the east, about 20° high, emitting blue and red sparks, with 



