118 TAYLER ON THE [Feb. 14, 1859. 



northern horizon, can give no idea of its appearance in the Arctic 

 regions, where for hours continuously the whole heavens from 

 horizon to horizon is brilliantly illuminated with bands, rays, and 

 clouds of luminous matter, waving, darting, and flickering its rays 

 to and fro, and changing its hues from a faint phosphorescent gleam 

 to golden, green, and rose — neither do any of the sketches I have 

 hitherto seen give its true appearance, and are mostly confined to 

 views of it when hardly above the horizon. 



I have observed it most frequently over the zenith, and there- 

 from half-way down to the horizon, the latter having been hid from 

 my view by mountains varying in distance from 1 to 10 miles; the 

 height and distance of these being pretty accurately known, have 

 served as some guide in estimating the extent, height, and speed of 

 motion of the aurora, the latter hereafter described as " Auroral 

 motion." 



The aurora, as it has appeared at Arksut, lat. 61° 14' N., long. 

 48° 10', has been of the following description : — 



Long streams of light or luminous matter travelling at times 

 with currents of air, but having within itself independent motions, 

 such as — 



1. Shooting rays downwards, never visibly reaching the earth or 

 even extending long below the main body. 



2. Rolling horizontally and doubling itself up in waves, pre- 

 cisely as if a long fringed ribbon were held at both extremities, 

 edges up and down, and a waving and serpentine motion communi- 

 cated to it. 



3. Parts brightening by doubling of the band; becoming so 

 opaque that stars of the first magnitude cannot be seen through it. 



4. Rapid and changeable motion to and fro, with and against the 

 current of air. 



5. Parts of the aurora, without travelling elsewhere, gradually 

 disappearing, and again becoming apparent in the same place with- 

 out having visibly come from the main body. 



6. Bands forming circles and spirals, and rarely into hemispheres, 

 like an enormous parachute over the zenith, with rays projecting 

 all round towards the earth. 



The aurora, or its downward rays, do not appear to be attracted 

 or influenced by high mountains, or icebergs, or water, appearing 

 equally over them all, although the long projecting rays shooting 

 downwards would seem to indicate attraction ; but this action is not 

 increased when passing over high mountains. 



Fitful and changeable as are its motions, one at least appears to be 

 a law, viz. its long bands always occur at or nearly at right angles 



