40 



Art. V. Account of a Coloured Circle surrounding the 

 Zenith. Bi/ Mr. Thomas Taylor, Jun. In a Letter 

 to John Pond, Esq., Astronomer Royal. 



Sir, Greenwich, February 2^, \%2\. 



I trust you will pardon the freedom I take of informing' you, 

 that I was favoured this morning with the sight of a beautiful 

 phenomenon ; and as it appears to be of an extraordinary kind, 

 I beg leave to give you a short statement thereof. 



About twenty minutes before nine o'clock (the sky being rather 

 overcast), a circular ring appeared, extending itself nearly three 

 quarters around the zenith as a centre, at the distance of 30°, 

 which exhibited the colours of a rainbow, but far more brilliant 

 than I had ever witnessed in that phenomenon ; and I plainly 

 saw they followed the order of the exterior bow. The sun at that 

 time (I found by the globe) was about 16° high, and that part 

 of the arc appeared most brilliant that was nearest to, and im- 

 mediately above, the sun. I called my father, but before he came 

 the colours grew very faint, and it was diminished to nearly a 

 semicircle. The time of its duration after I first saw it till it 

 disappeared, was about five minutes. 



I remain. Sir, with due respect, 



Your obedient humble servant, 



T. G. Taylor, Jun. 



Art. VI. Some additional Observations relating to the 

 Secreting Power of Animals, in a Letter addressed to the 

 Editor of the Journal of the Uoyal Institution, by A. P.W, 

 Philip, M.D., F.R.S.E., ^c. 



Sir, London, January 18, 1821. 



As the question respecting the nature of secretion is inti- 

 mately connected with the healing art, it must be considered 

 an important one. This I hope will appear to you a sufficient 

 excuse for my troubling you with some additional observations 

 on this subject. My present observations will occupy but a 

 small space. 



