42 REPORT — 1855. 



about half an hour T observed brilliant prismatic colours on the water near the 

 shore, say half a mile or more distant, but no appearance of a bow. I rowed 

 towards the spot, and, in doing so, the colours increased in extent and brilliancy. 

 There were two bows, which resembled ordinary rainbows inverted ; both were 

 exceedingly brilliant at the extremities, and became gradually fainter as they receded 

 from the shore. The outer bow came completely down to the boat, which appeared 

 to prevent our seeing the crown of the arch ; its extremities also proceeded from the 

 shore, and its centre was apparently under the feet of the spectator. In both bows 

 the red was on the outside and the violet on the inside, and, in both, the light and 

 colours were most brilliant and distinct at the extremities, or points of convergence 

 at the water's edge. 1 am certain there was no rainbow in the sky at the time, 

 neither was there any solar halo or other phEenomenon in the air that I observed, of 

 which this could be the reflexion. 



I observed that, wherever the prismatic phsenomenon showed itself, there was a 

 sort of scum on the water, as though there was some fine dust or bubbles on the 

 surface. I put my finger into the water, and found it so dirty as to leave a distinct 

 mark behind, which leads me to think that what I at first took to be small bubbles 

 must have been some sort of dust. Whatever it was, it appeared to me to be the 

 cause of the iridescence, as, wherever it was lost, the bows disappeared. The bows 

 were visible about an hour, and, in looking at them, the sun was of course behind 

 the spectator. 



The boatmen say they have sometimes (though very rarely) seen a similar phae- 

 nomenon after the disappearance of a mist from the surface of the water. At 

 Whitehaven the sky was also cloudless, but in the evening the air was misty. 



In reply to questions from Prof. Powell, some further particulars were stated and 

 drawings furnished. 



Notice of Climatological Elements in the Western District of Scotland. 

 By Dr. Nichol. 



Meteorological Phanomena for 1854, registered at Huggate. 

 By the Rev. T. Rankin. 



On the Aurora Borealis. By Rear-Admiral Sir John Ross. 

 Referring to his formerly published opinion, namely "that the phsenomena of the 

 aurora borealis were occasioned by the action of the sun, when below the pole, on 

 the surrounding masses of coloured ice, by its rays being reflected from the 

 points of incidence to clouds above the pole which were before invisible," the author 

 stated his impression that the phaenomena might be artificially produced. To accom- 

 phsh this, he placed a powerful lamp to represent the sun, having a lens, at the focal 

 distance of which he placed a rectified terrestrial globe, on which bruised glass, of 

 the various colours seen in Baffin's Bay, was placed, to represent the coloured ice- 

 bergs seen in that locality, while the space between Greenland and Spitzbergen was 

 left blank, to represent the sea. To represent the clouds above the pole, which were 

 to receive the refracted rays, he applied a hot iron to a sponge ; and by giving the 

 globe a regular diurnal motion, he produced the ph.enoraena vulgarly called "The 

 Merry Dancers," and every other appearance, exactly as seen in the natural sky, 

 while it disappeared as the globe turned, as being the part representing the sea to the 

 points of incidence. 



On the Meteorology of the United States and Canada. By R. Russell. 



The author first drew attention to the physical geography of North America, as in- 

 fluencing in a very particular manner the meteorological phaenomena of that country. 

 The Appalachian chain, from Northern Alabama to Maine, runs parallel with the 



