266. Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 



circle, it would have had a diameter of 965°. At the point E of the 

 iris D D, which cut the halo C C, the light was almost as brilliant as 

 from the sun itself. This lasted till 0^ 15™ p.m., when it faded 

 away, together with the halo C C. 



Ih I5m_ — The halo CC and inverted arc of iris DD again ap- 

 peared ; the latter was very distinctly prismatic, having the red 

 colour next the sun. 



From this until about 2 p.m. no change worthy of mention, except 

 that the inverted arc of the iris D D kept continually increasing and 

 decreasing in brightness, and every now and then was so brilliant as 

 scarcely to be looked at. 



2h jm — ^ parhelion, A A, of a silvery colour appeared in the S.E. 

 side of the halo C C and on the horizontal level of the sun. 



2h 5m. — Mock-sun A A vanished. The portion E E of the in- 

 verted iris D D that cut the halo C C was extremely bright. 



'2^ 9™. — A halo, or more properly speaking an iris F F, became 

 visible, surrounding the upper or N.E. half of the halo C C at a di- 

 stance of 15° from it ; this was of a silvery hue. 



2^ 10"". — Another inverted arc of an iris, G G, appeared at the 

 vertex of the iris F F ; had this described a circle its diameter would 

 have been 64° ; the inverted iris D D was brilliant in the highest 

 degree. [Both the inverted irises, D D and G G, were situated on the 

 halo C C and iris FF, and opened in a direction to the N.E.] 



2h 1511. — Atmosphere very dense. The iris FF and inverted iris 

 G G at its vertex, together with the S.E. side of the halo C C, dis- 

 appeared. The inverted iris, D D, was very brilliant. Few cirro- 

 strati floated below the sun, and cumuli round the horizon. 



2^ IS"*. — Halo CC very indistinct, but the inverted iris DD at 

 its summit still very bright. 



2^^ 26"". — Inverted iris D D vanished. The disappearance of this 

 inverted iris was rather singular, for in most instances the brightest 

 portion of the phaenomenon continues to the last. A faint parhelion, 

 B B, at this time was visible in the N.W. side of the halo C C, and 

 likewise on the horizontal level of the sun. This lasted till 2^ 30™, 

 when all vanished. 



2^ 30"". — Scud and cirrostrati covered the whole visible surface of 

 the sky, and became more dense every minute. The clouds were 

 evidently formed on the spot, and plainly by the vapours reaching 

 the cold current. Overcast close evening ; rainy night. 



Excepting the halo C C and inverted iris D D (which were pris- 

 matic), the colour was pale silver throughout. 



It is somewhat remarkable that I should have been fortunate 

 enough in little more than a year to have seen three such beautiful 

 and rare atmospheric phaenomena as those I have described : — the 

 first, parhelia seen at Derby on the 16th of June 1843 ; second, pa- 

 raselenjE seen at High Field House, May 1, 1844 ; and last, parhelia 

 seen at High Field House, October 21, 1844. But it is recorded 

 that John Hevelius was still more fortunate, for he in the short space 

 of eleven months witnessed at Dantzic four of these very rare phse- 

 nomena : — the first, paraselense on March 30, 1660 ; second, parhelia. 



