Bradley'' s Auroral Register. 139 



Extracts from an Auroral Register kept at New Havex, Conn., 

 BY Mr, Francis Bradley. 



Mr. Francis Bradley, now of Chicago, 111., kept an Auroral Register in 

 New Haven, beginning in June, 1842, and extending to June, 1854. From 

 this Register Mr. Hei-rick made frequent extracts, marking them with the 

 initial letters F. B. ; and these extracts are given in the preceding pages. 

 But not finding them later than 1850, the Committee of Publication had in- 

 ferred that Mr. Bradley's observations did not extend beyond that time. 

 After all of Mr. Herrick's Register, except the last two pages, had been 

 printed, they were gi-atified to learn that Mr. Bradley continued to observe 

 as long as Mr. Herrick, and that thus essential additions could be made to 

 his record, and especially that the gaps in it could be filled. 



The two Registers have been compared throughout, and every entry of 

 Mr. Bradley's tliat furnishes additional information likely to be of value, is 

 given below. It has not been thouglit necessary, however, to give the ob- 

 servations for those nights when both Mr. Herrick and Mr. Bradley state 

 that no aurora was seen, even though the latter observed to a later hour of 

 the evening. This method of selection brings out an undue projjortion of 

 apparent discrepancies betAveen the two observers. Most of these are evi- 

 dently due to their reporting the state of the sky as it appeared at difier- 

 ent moments. 



During part of the time covered by his observations, Mr. Bradley had 

 charge of the Observatory in Yale College, and gave instruction in Practi- 

 cal Astronomy. His careful accuracy in astronomical observations justifies 

 special confidence in his records of the aurora. 



In the following pages, auroras reported by Mr. Bradley are numbered, 

 when they have not been numbered in Herrick's Register. 



1842. 1 



May 28 Tolerably clear this evening, some clouds in the south ; supposed 



1 fiiint aurora at 9'' ; no streamers ; very doubtful. 

 July 4 Partially clear. About 11'' stars shone brightly. 

 Oct. 30 Tolerably clear. No A.B. at 8 P. 



Nov. 2 Clear; hazy near horizon. No A.B. Thought I saw a faint light 

 along the north, but could not be satisfied that it was A.B. 

 11 Very clear. Moon. Faint suspicions of an A.B. at 8''; was not 



satisfied that there was one. 

 21 At 6'' considerably cloudy. At 8-}'' clear, fine A.B. Moon began 

 to interfere. At 11'' should think it not all gone. ("^TS) 



Dec. 1 Clear, here and there a cloud : susp. a faint A.B. at 12'', but not cert. 



1843. 

 Jan. 23 Clear at G^". No A.B. Cloudy at 8", 9'', and 10'', and ]). all night. 

 Mar. 28 Cloudy ; fair at 9^''. No A.B. ' Seemed rather lighter than usual 

 I in the N. at 10^'', but do not think there Avas any A.B. 



