6 
justly attributed to some disturbance on the sun’s surface, the 
influence of which reaches this earth, we may reasonably refer the 
latter to electricity. There seems little doubt that the recent dis- 
play of the Aurora hail some connection with the remarkable sun 
spots then visible. ‘These spots when accuritely measured, were 
found to be of the immense size of a hundred thousand miles in 
length, and sixty thousand miles in breadth, while the whole group 
extends over a hundred and fifty thousand miles. They were first 
observed on the 5th of February last, and reached the sun’s central 
meridian on the 18th, ou which and the following day a most unusual 
magn tic disturbance was recorded by the instruments at Greenwich 
the shadow of the magnetic needle on the sensitised paper being 
deflected some three or four inches to either side many times 
during those days. At Potsdam, where the recording instruments 
are of an exceptionally delicate nature, the magnetic disturbance 
caused the needle to move with the unprecedented speed of two 
degrees in two minutes, while another magnetic scale registered as 
much as three degrees, the recording power of this instrument not 
being able to vo beyond this. These proofs of magnetic disturbance 
occurred on the 18th and 14th of February, and it was on the inter- 
vening night that the magnificent display of the Aurora took place, 
both on this continent and in America. ‘There areseveral cases on 
record in which the maximum period of sun spots has been coin- 
cident with similar terrestrial magnetic disturbances. On the 
other hand these disturbances have occurred when no spots have 
been visible to us, but it is possible thatsun spots may have 
existed on the side farthest from us. 
Professor Higgins alluded in his address to the interesting 
researchés of Pi ofessors Schiaparelli and H. A. Newton as to the 
connection between ermets and periodic meteor swarms, and also 
(by means of the spec:roscope) as to the identity of cometary and 
meteoric matter. At the same time, Professor Higgins inclines on 
think that the head or nucleus of the comet is due rather to 
disruptive electric discharges produced by processes of evaporation 
due to intense solar heat than to clashing of separate meteoric 
stones, which was the theory of Norman Lockyer. 
One of tha most interesting points which the spectroscope has 
established is that of the attenuated nature of the nebule. It-was 
originally supposed that the nebule were mysterious masses of 
stars, too remote from this earth for the telescope to show them 
even as separate bodies, and consequently of no value as throwing 
any light on the great problem of the universe. This idea slowly 
gave place to the theory that they were not stars at all, but portions 
of the ‘fiery mist’? or ‘“ shining fluid,’ out of which the heavens 
and the earth were originally gradually evolved. I need not tell 
