454 



10»» 17™ 53% remaining fixed for a few moments; at 10^ 18"™ 12* 

 this resolved itself into several bright streamers. 1 was un- 

 able, after this period, to fix upon any sufficiently marked 

 appearances to admit of being noted down; the Aurora, how- 

 ever, continued for some time longer, till gradually obscured 

 by a thick fog which came on at this time. Throughout 

 the whole period, the dark part, through which I observed 

 stars of the fifth magnitude, was remarkably well defined, 

 presenting at times the appearance of a mountain range 

 seen at a distance. 



"I have offered this very imperfect sketch, in the hope that 

 this fine Aurora has not escaped the notice of more accurate 

 and better prepared observers; for, if we were supplied 

 with a sufficient number even of such rough outlines as the 

 preceding, we should be better enabled to answer a question 

 very important to the subject, namely — whether different 

 observers see the same Aurora at the same time ?'* 



Dr. Robinson presented a specimen of Meteor Paper, 

 similar to that of Carolath, which he had received from the 

 Countess of Caledon, with a notice of the circumstances of 

 its formation. It was found, last Spring, covering a consi- 

 derable tract of meadow land, the property of Lord Radnor, 

 in Gloucestershire. The tract of country between Les- 

 blade and Farringdon is flooded by the Isis every Spring, 

 but not more than usually this season. When the waters 

 subsided, the surface of the ground was covered with this 

 substance to such an extent as to make its removal and de- 

 struction necessary to permit the growth of the grass ; some 

 of the pieces covering ten and twelve acres in continuous and 

 unbroken sheets. Nothing of the kind had been noticed be- 

 fore by the oldest farmers. Portions of it were found on land 

 which had not been under water. It is denser than any which 

 Dr. Robinson had seen, and contains a larger proportion of 

 the shields of Infusoria; but the tissue is composed chiefly 

 of the conferva rivularis. 



