2o3 



above sea-level is known. A little training is necessary in order to set and 

 read a standard ; but this is a trifle, and a day or two will be time sufficient 

 to make the observer expert enough. Should the distance between two plaees 

 be less than two miles, the measurement of altitude may be made at once with 

 tolerable accuracy ; but should the distance be greater it will be well to multiply 

 the simultaneous observations as much as possible, and calculate the height from 

 the mean of all readings at both stations. 



In some notes of mine relative to the past year I find two notices of 

 Aurora seen previous to the grand display of the 21th of October thus :— " January 

 7th, 8th a very heavy gale, preceded by red aurora " ; and again : — " September 

 24th, fine aurora, white and red, about 10 p.m." The police speak of another 

 striking aurora, but I have forgotten the dute. 



On the 21th of October, however, mast of us beheld a sight which is not 

 likely to be forgotten, and which in this part of the globe is seldom equalled, 

 probably never surpassed. I find I have only time and space to give my notes of 

 this wonderful efhibition just as they stand in my meteorological daybook : — 

 "October 24th, magnificent red aurora, 7.45 p.m. to 8.30 p.m. Commenced 

 with white light in the west and N.E. Began to show red in the N.E. at 7.30. 

 Shot up a magnificent red column in the N.E. at ten minutes to eight. Then 

 spread out into deep blood red all across the eastern sky. Another magnificent 

 crimson display in the west. White and rose coloured columns shot up from east 

 and west, and met at the magnetic zenith. White bars passed across the red 

 column in the N.E. causing an appearance of flickering light. 



25th. Repetition of aurora, 6 to 7 p.m. ; shafts running up to magnetic 

 zenith as before. Not so striking as the display of the 24th because of the re - 

 maining daylight." 



A correct notion of altitude, or height above sea level, is frequently of 

 such importance to scientific observers that I again refer to the subject, and add 

 a few remarks to those made in my p^per for 1S69. 



The Ordnance bench mark on the tower of Weobley Church is, I believe, 

 the bench mark nearest to Hereford ; therefore, if it had not been for the work 

 of the railway engineers it would have been necessary to have run levels 

 from that point to this place, in order to fix the altitude of Hereford by spirit 

 levelling. However, through the kindness of Mr. Roberts C.E., we have been 

 for some time past acquainted with the altitudes of the Moorfield and Barton 

 Stations, and now I have to thank Mr. John Southall, of Leominster, for 

 information which enables me to give that of the Barr's Court Station also. 



Some time since Dr. Bull obtained from the R.W. Engineer's office at 

 Shrewsbury the height of the rails at Leominster Station above those at Barr's 

 Court (57 feet), and as there are bolt bench marks at Leominster I felt anxious 

 to get the R.W. levels at Leominster connected with those of the Ordnance 

 survey. Mr. Southall, with the assistance of a friend,* has managed this, and 

 I am now able to report that the bench mark on the Leominster Town-hall 



Mr, W. Bowles. 



