1869.] Meteorology. 449 



of Holland, The charts are illustrated by copious notes, consisting 

 of extracts from the logs of captains, who have noticed sudden 

 changes of temperature and thus tending to show where the actual 

 boundaries of the various ocean currents he. 



Meteorologists will haU these charts as a useful contribution to 

 Marine Meteorology, and as a first instalment of the publication of 

 the partly finished work found by the committee in the office when 

 they took charge of it. 



We are glad to learn that H.M.S. ' Porcupine ' has been placed 

 at the disposal of Dr. Carpenter and his friends, in order to carry 

 out a more extensive series of deep-sea soundings and dredgings 

 than was possible during their short cruise last autumn. We hope 

 that by this expedition some hght may at last be thrown on the 

 vexed question of deep-sea temperatures. 



Mr. S. Barber sends us the following account of the Aurora 

 Borealis, observed by him near Liverpool. The two remarkable 

 appearances of Aurora Boreahs which occiuTed lately, afford some 

 peculiar and noteworthy points of comparison, in addition to the 

 fact of their unusual brilliancy and striking form, and their ])rox- 

 imity to each other ; the last in point of time, on May 13th, 

 showed greater steadiness and a whiter light, the flashes being 

 feeble and indistinct. The rays of electric hght, arched, broad, and 

 white, over the entire heavens, converging to an irregular nucleus, 

 situated about 10 degrees S.S.E. of the zenith. This nucleus had 

 a jagged edge and an irregular cavity within it, and its form changed 

 rapidly, one half of its body disappearing in less than a minute. 

 The space between the streamers was very small, and a very light 

 greenish blue colom' produced a remarkable effect. The previous 

 Aurora presented much stronger contrasts of colour, and greater 

 radial definition. The light was more limited in extent, and the 

 rays most distinct from north to west, from which quarter, and 

 from N.W., were rapid and brilhant flashing streamers, having a 

 wave-like and tremulous motion, as of bands of ribbon violently 

 shaken ; these converged, as in the former case, to a point not far 

 from the zenith, and nearly coincident with that of the nucleus in 

 May. It is worthy of notice that a long period of cold wet weather 

 followed these remarkable phenomena, the wind ranging from east 

 to north. The above notes were taken from about 10 to 11 J p.m. 



