PROVISIONAL REPORTS, AND NOTICES. 429 
scope, and a set of registry-books. As, owing to the actual 
circumstances of that observatory, there appeared no prospect 
of these requisites being otherwise supplied,—as the station 
appeared to your Committee a desirable one, and as M. 
Boguslawski was willing and desirous to lend his aid to this 
great combined operation, by taking on himself the laborious 
duty of conducting the observations,—your Committee con- 
ceived, that although possibly transgressing in some degree 
the strict wording of their powers, they were only acting up to 
their spirit in devoting a portion (185/.) of the funds placed at 
‘their disposal, to supplying them at the expense of the Asso- 
ciation. Unwilling to claim any privilege, or establish any 
precedent for the smallest deviation from the strict literal in- 
terpretation of a money grant, your Committee suggest to the 
meeting the propriety of ratifying, by an express act of recog- 
nition, the application of the above-mentioned sum. A letter 
from M. Boguslawski, dated the 22nd July, 1840, announces 
the safe arrival of the instruments and books in question, and 
the consequent complete state of instrumental equipment of the 
Breslau Observatory, expressing at the same time his sincere 
thanks for the assistance accorded him. 
By returns from the several stations authorized by the British 
Government, so far as yet received, it appears that the observa- 
tories at the Cape and at St. Helena might be expected to be 
complete, and ready for reception of the instruments in July. 
From Van Diemen’s Land no accounts have yet been received. 
At Toronto, where the greatest delays and difficulties were to 
be expected, and have been experienced, the observatory was 
so far advanced at the date of Mr. Riddell’s last communica- 
tion, as to leave no doubt of its completion in time for the regu- 
lar observation of the August term. Meanwhile, in this, as at 
the other stations, all observations practicable under the actual 
circumstances of each, are made and regularly forwarded. 
And here your Committee would especially call attention to the 
extremely remarkable phenomena exhibited at Toronto on 
the 29th and 30th May, when, by great good fortune, a most 
superb Aurora appeared at the very time of the term-ob- 
servations.* ‘The phenomena of this Aurora (which was re- 
markable for the extent and frequency of the pulsating waves, 
alluded to in that part of the report above cited, p. 47, re- 
lating to this subject,) are very minutely and scientifically 
described by Mr. Riddell. But what renders the occurrence 
particularly interesting is the fact, that during the whole time 
of the visible appearance of this Aurora, on the night from 
* See table of the terms, Report of the Council of the Royal Society, p. 31. 
