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became a beautiful object. The southern light now began to show 

 evident movements towards the form of spicula, with increased bright- 

 ness. In the north, the first spiculum increased in size and brilliancy, 

 and many new ones were now formed to the west of the first. These, 

 as they shot up, increased in brilliancy, arose from the same kind of 

 arch, or dark bank, which was still visible to the south. Then com- 

 m.enced another set of spicula, from the western horizon. The west- 

 ern and northern spicula moved towards the east, and the whole cir- 

 cumference of the heavens now became lighted up with a brilliancy 

 that can scarcely be imagined. The whole had reached the vertex 

 about 20° S. E. of the zenith. This convergence of spicula was 

 very remarkable — the central point itself was not illuminated, but 

 irregularly around it the brightness was very considerable. The spi- 

 cula were now so numerous that they resembled the radiating sticks 

 of a fan, and they spread around us on all sides. Their movement 

 was rapid, and the brilliancy truly astonishing. The shooting up of 

 spicula from the three dark banks, or arches, was in constant play. 

 In regard to the dark bank at the north, I observed what I had ne- 

 ver before seen, viz. occasional spicula arising from various parts 

 below the dark arch — this seems to me to be a curious fact. 



It became now, at half past 11 o'clock, quite faint, and dying away 

 about 12 o'clock, I retired to bed. Some of the gentlemen remained 

 up, and stated that it became, afterwards, still more brilliant, if possi- 

 ble, and so remained until day-light, at 2 o'clock, which caused the 

 whole to disappear. It certainly was the finest aurora I have ever 

 seen. There was no colour exhibited, but that of intense whiteness. 



Dr. Boye made some observations on the frequency and re- 

 markable brilliancy of auroras, as they appear in the vicinity 

 of Cape Race, and suggested, as very desirable, that the inter- 

 ests of the captains of ocean steamers, who constantly traverse 

 that region, should be enlisted in making accurate observations 

 of these phenomena. He read a communication from Mr. 

 Charles RuUock, describing the appearance of an aurora in that 

 neighbourhood, as seen from the Steamer Humboldt, October 

 2, 1851. 



Dr. Boye made a communication on human hair, and exhi- 

 bited, in the microscope, a specimen of a hair which had been 

 broken off at the root, and again re-produced. He described 

 VOL. VI. — z 



