44 Mr. W. Stevenson on the Aurora, and the connexion which 



fully formed in the usual position, the streamers exhibiting the 

 magnetic curves with great distinctness in the vicinity of the 

 point of convergence. Streamers and masses of crimson light 

 were mixed with those of the ordinary white and yellowish hues. 

 Two of these masses were very persistent, — one of them situated 

 in the west, a short way above the horizon; the other in N.N.E. 

 at an altitude of about 45°. The motions of the streamers were 

 very rapid, and the whole features of the display passed through 

 an infinity of changes. Next morning a great number of light 

 fleecy cirrous clouds were scattered over the sky. About 3 h p.m. 

 these had become more compact, passing into cirrocumuli, and 

 were arranged in "meridional lines " from N.N.W. to S.S.E. 

 There is every reason to believe that these had some connexion 

 with the auroral display of the preceding evening. Faint aurorse 

 also appeared on the evenings of the 20th and 21st. 



" On the 22nd, at a few minutes before 8 h p.m., a remarkable 

 meteor exploded behind some dark clouds in the N.N.E. part of 

 the sky, giving out for two or three seconds a light almost rival- 

 ling that of day. This meteor was also observed at Banff, where 

 it appeared in the S.E. ; at Dundee, where it appeared in the E. ; 

 at Melrose, where it appeared about N.E., and in many other 

 places. A comparison of the notices of it contained in the 

 newspapers would appear to indicate that it must have exploded 

 over a part of the German Ocean, situated somewhere about 30 or 

 40 miles east from the Forfarshire coast, — its altitude being then 

 probably about 40 or 50 miles. It would be interesting to ascer- 

 tain if the phenomenon was observed by the crews of any coast- 

 ing vessels that happened to be at that time near the locality 

 indicated. 



" On the 24th of Februaiy, at about 10 h 45 m p.m., a very 

 singular isolated auroral cloud appeared in the constellation 

 Perseus, extending several degrees towards the Pole Star and the 

 Pleiades, to which respectively its major axis pointed. It dis- 

 appeared and reappeared several times, always occupying at each 

 successive reappearance nearly the same position and dimensions. 

 No auroral appearance was visible in any other part of the sky. 



" On the 27th, between 8 h and 9 h p.m., an arched aurora 

 extended up to about 25° above the N.N.W. point of the horizon. 

 In the southern part of the heavens an auroral band crossed the 

 magnetic meridian at right angles, passing by Deneb, under 

 Procyon, and through the lower part of Orion. A highly inter- 

 esting circumstance connected with this was the formation of 

 white fleecy cumulus clouds in the region about Canis Minor, 

 where the auroral band referred to was generally most distinct, 

 although it occasionally disappeared and reappeared like that 

 seen in the constellation Perseus on the night of the 24th. These 



