Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles, 231 



actly six o'clock. It consisted of several groups of vertical beams of 

 pale yellowish light on both sides of the north star, extending nearly 

 to equal distances in the western and eastern directions. These 

 beams presented the strongest light at their bases, and grew gra- 

 dually fainter, to their superior extremities, where they softened 

 and gently glided into the most attenuated light, and were lost at 

 various altitudes, some of which were near to the zenith. These 

 streamers soon faded, and gave place to a few straggling vertical 

 coruscations, displayed in various parts of the northern sky, which 

 in their turn were again succeeded by the finest streamers I ever 

 beheld. It was now five minutes past six. These splendid streamers 

 were of the same tint as the former, and extended from the black 

 nucleus near the horizon to the zenith in nearly the same manner ; 

 but the refulgence of these far exceeded that of the former. 

 These streamers consisted principally of two parallel groups, one on 

 each side of the north, and with some considerable distance between 

 them. Smaller streamers were, however, playing in the intermediate 

 space, and also on their outer horizontal skirts. The horizontal 

 boundaries of the aurora, at this time, seemed to be the Milky Way 

 on the west, and near to the planet Mars on the east. From this 

 time the aurora gradually diminished in splendour, and about seven 

 was nearly lost ; it occasionally, however, brightened with a few 

 faint flashing momentary streamers till between ten and eleven, at 

 which time I discontinued my observations. 



During the display of the fine streamers, which first presented 

 themselves about five minutes past six, I hurried home to adjust a 

 magnetic needle. It was about half-past six before I had my mag- 

 netic apparatus fit for observation, and the splendour of the aurora 

 had now passed its meridian. I diligently watched the needle and 

 the aurora till half-past ten, but observed nothing in the motions of 

 the former that could possibly be attributed to the influence of the 

 latter. 



From the brilliancy of the aurora at six o'clock, I imagine that it 

 was exhibited at a much earlier period of the evening, but I have had 

 no opportunity of ascertaining the fact from persons likely to have 

 seen it. I think it is likely that the aurora was very fine in Scot- 

 land, and perhaps in higher north latitudes, after seven o'clock, 

 perhaps till nine or ten. 



Artillery Place. Woolwich, Dec. 23, 1834. W. Sturgeon. 



P.S. This aurora appeared to have no particular respect for the 

 magnetic north : it was nearly, if not exactly, bisected by the true 

 meridian during the whole of the time 1 observed it. 



MR. GILL ON THE STRUCTURE OF THE FIBRES OF FLAX AND 

 COTTON, IN REFERENCE TO THE OBSERVATIONS OF MR, 

 BAUER. 



To the Editors of the Philosophical Magazine and Journal of Science, 

 Gentlemen, 

 1 felt myself much interested in the perusal of a late article in 

 your valuable work, by Mr. Thomson, on the Mummy Cloth ; 



