No. Ill] APPEARANCES OF THE AURORA. 555 



tion, the needle pointed as at midnight; but in about two minutes, the arch 

 descended towards the east, and then the needle gradually returned eastward 

 to its zero*, in which position it remained until the coruscation had dis- 

 appeared. 



At lh. a. m., Aurora visible in patches, 279° and 99°, and a beam 346°, the 

 needle then stood at 348° 1 6' having moved eastward 34' since midnight. At 

 9h. p. m., January 1 5th, the needle had attained the usual position at that hour, 

 the aurora then appeared in the zenith. At midnight, a waving irregular arch 

 continued across the zenith from 279° to 99°, and a rapid interior motion 

 passed from the former to the latter direction. Motion of the needle westward. 



16th. At I2h. 20' westward, faint streams from 99°, inclining to the west- 

 ward. 



20th. At 1 1 h. , an arch crossed the zenith ; and at midnight, a patch appeared 

 54°, lying parallel to the horizon. 



21st. An arch from 99° to 212°, elevation about 10°. At midnight, a 

 broad patch in the zenith. Slender beams rose from 234° and 31°, which were 

 prolonged to the zenith, and came almost in contact with thi s patch, at the same 

 time a low arch proceeded from 279° to 54°. Between nine and midnight, the 

 needle moved westward 32 minutes. 



22nd. At 9h. p. m., an arched horizontal stream from 110° to 54°. At mid- 

 night no Aurora perceptible, yet the needle had changed its position. 



23rd. 9h. p. m., a brilliant arch across the zenith, from 279° to 99°, com- 

 posed of slender beams, lying parallel to each other. The motion passed 

 from 99° to the zenith. This arch separated in the zenith. The westward 

 part disappeared entirely, but a column of light remained at 99°, motion of the 

 needle westward. At 12h. thick hazy weather, no Aurora visible. Needle had 

 moved eastward. 



24th. 9h. p. m., two low arches extending from 99° to 178°. At mid- 

 night, the coruscations were generally diffused over the upper part of the 

 sky ; but the streams traversed the zenith in a different direction from the 

 course they more frequently take, and their extremities were at 54° and 234°. 

 The most conspicuous beam, rising 245°, proceeded to the zenith, and curled 





348° 30', as mentioned in page 550. 



4 B 2 



