120 TAYLER ON THE [Feb. 14, 1859. 



From the foregoing remarks it will be seen that the aurora is 

 confined to certain spaces at no very great altitude, and is not, as 

 has been supposed, a luminous or electric vapour reaching to the 

 earth, and encircling the beholder ; that by doubling on itself it 

 becomes more opaque, showing a certain amount of density, inferior 

 however to clouds ; that its light is independent, and not a reflec- 

 tion of light from the sun, since its low altitude precludes it ; that 

 this vapour or luminous matter has a motion independent of currents 

 of air, and that it has diamagnetic properties ; that whatever may 

 be the cause of luminosity, it is composed of matter capable of de- 

 composing rays of light, since the under edge of the aurora exhibits 

 the prismatic colours ; that it has within itself a strong cohesion or 

 attraction amongst its parts, holding itself entire in strong winds, 

 and not being scattered abroad like smoke or vapour, yet showing 

 the force of the wind upon it by being curved more or less to 

 leeward. 



Since these few facts are insufficient to draw conclusions from, 

 or even to prove definitively the invariableness of any of the 

 appearances I have described, I content myself with the above 

 remarks. 



J. W. Tayler. 



Arksut, Greenland, August, 1858. 



Explanation of Figures. 



Fig. 1. Appearance of the aurora, when above the clouds. 

 „ 2. Ditto, below the clouds. 

 „ 3. General aspect of an auroral band. 

 „ 4. Aurora, in the form of a parachute, observed only once. 



The President. — I beg to return the thanks of the Society to the author 

 of this notice, and also to our friend Sir Walter Trevelyan for having com- 

 municated it. As there is no gentleman present who can throw more light 

 upon this subject than that distinguished Arctic explorer, Sir George Back, I 

 call upon him to give us a condensed account of his own observations upon 

 the aurora borealis. 



Rear-Admibal Sir George Back, Vice-President. — A condensed view of 

 a phenomenon always moving is not an easy thing. I think great credit is 

 due to Mr. Tayler for having given a condensed and graphic description of the 

 aurora borealis, as seen by him at Arksut, in Greenland. I may as well say 

 that Arksut is near Cape Farewell, in lat. 61° 14' n., long. 48° 18' w. ; and 

 as, according to Sir John Franklin and others, the 65th degree of latitude is 

 the most favourable for the observation of the aurora borealis, Mr. Tayler 

 was well situated for that purpose. The aurora generally commences some- 

 where about w. by n., or a little more northerly, and shoots up in rays or 

 beams, but frequently in arches, extending across the zenith to the opposite 

 horizon ; sometimes returning in a counter-motion, and being met by rays 

 of almost prismatic colours in the shape of a V, completing the semi-circle ; 



