Eloge of Alexander Volta. SS 



no one will accuse me of being insensible of their importance. 

 Were we to pass in review all the works of our cotemporaries, and 

 each, according to his habits, taste, and the direction of his mind, 

 to determine of which he would prefer to be considered the au- 

 thor, the Mecanique celeste and the Voltaic pile, would present 

 themselves at once to my thoughts ! An academician devoted 

 to the study of the stars, could not give a greater proof of the 

 profound admiration with which the immortal discoveries of 

 Volta have inspired him. 



The place of Foreign Associate, left vacant by the death of 

 Volta, has been filled up by Dr Thomas Young. Academic 

 bodies are fortunate, gentlemen, when, in recruiting their num- 

 bers, they can find one genius to succeed another. 



INSTRUCTIONS FOR OBSERVERS OF THE AURORA BOREALIS *. 



Notwithstanding the attention which has been paid to the 

 phenomena of the Aurora Borealis, and the various hypotheses 

 which have been imagined to explain them, it will be found that 

 there is a want of information on the points which are most ne- 

 cessary as bases of induction ; and the British Association have 

 therefore been induced to appoint a Committee, in the express 

 view of directing observers to the really important features of 

 this meteor ; and of obtaining, by a system of contemporaneous 

 observation, data which experience shews cannot be derived from 

 insulated exertion. 



Height of the Aurora Borealis, — The most important ques- 

 tion respecting auroral phenomena, is their elevation above 

 the earth's surface ; and certainly (considering the easy pro- 

 cess by which it may be determined) it must excite surprise 

 to find, that while some observers assign to them a height of 

 from 100 to 200 miles, others reduce it to 2, 3, or even less. 

 Of the former, Dr Dalton and Mr Potter are the most dis- 

 tinguished ; of the latter, Mr Farquharson of Aberdeenshire ; 

 while many have been unable to form any decided conclu- 

 sion. Yet these different determinations lead obviously to as 



• The above was circulated by the British Association for the Advance- 

 ment of Science. 



VOL. XVI. NO. XXXI. JANUARY J 834. C 



