TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 13 
clouded. “At first (observes the author), as we were passing over 
an elevated part of the road, Killness, near New Bridge, a beautiful 
rainbow was formed, remarkable for the width of its span, the elevation 
of its arch, as the sun was then low, and also for its vivid colours; 
still, as the sky became more overcast, the brilliancy of this primary 
bow increased, and forthwith an upper bow also assumed distinct- 
ness, and though the colours were indeed inverted, as having un- 
dergone a double refraction and reflection, was almost as bright as 
the under bow, and besides seemed more remote from it than I had 
observed before in the formation of the two bows. No sooner were 
these two distinctly formed, than a supplementary bow began to form 
to each. But the phenomenon did not end here; for hardly had these 
supplementary bows been formed, when there appeared within the arch 
of the under bow, another, and another, and another, and so on toa 
fifth, in rapid succession; there being now no less than five supple- 
mentary bows clearly and distinctly formed; and in one part, particu- 
larly where the shower above alluded to had been, though the rain had 
then seemed almost to cease, I could trace the incipient stage of another 
supplementary bow, but this only for a short space. The others, how- 
ever, were distinctly formed throughout the whole arch, and the four 
first especially, nearly as vivid as the under bow itself. 
“Such was the appearance with regard to the under bow; but upon 
reviewing the upper one, not only was there the first supplementary bow, 
but also two others, clearly and distinctly formed throughout the whole 
arch, and only diminished, as to size, distance, and vividness of colours, 
as in the case of the first lower bows; only the spaces between each sup- 
plementary bow belonging to the upper one, seemed larger than between 
_ the supplementary bows belonging to the under one. And as in the 
case of the under bow, its supplementary bows gradually diminished as 
to the size of the arch and brightness of their colours, in a distinct ma- 
thematical proportion; so also with regard to the upper bow, its sup- 
plementary bows, vice versd, though they exhibited the exact arrange- 
ment of prismatic colours, as did the primary bow to which they be- 
longed, increased their arch over the heavens, diminishing at the same 
time in width or distance from each other, as well as in the brilliancy 
of their colours, in the same exact proportion. This whole phenomenon, 
with ten distinct rainbows, and at one time part of the eleventh, stretch- 
ing across the heavens, was indeed truly magnificent, and besides, took 
in a much larger space than I had ever noticed before. The vale of 
Nith may extend about nine or ten miles across, and in the case of these 
bows, the one foot seemed near the Barhill, Inwald, and the other near 
the White hill, Terregles. They first became visible as we were crossing 
Killness, Ness, Holywood, and continued for nearly a mile without 
much sensible alteration, only the arches ascending higher and higher 
(till we arrived at Newton Lodge) as the sun descended. As we ap- 
proached Dumfries some of the bows gradually disappeared, probably 
from our having moved out of the proper angle of reflexion. Soon 
after this the sun sunk below our sensible horizon, and finally showed 
only the upper part of the larger arches.” 
/ 
