136 Dr Farquharson on the Appearance of the 
wider, and of nearly the same height, but not quite so bril- 
liant, in another limited space, at NW. It was instantly 
seen that, in both spaces, the bright meteor was between the 
eye and lofty stratus clouds. These clouds extended in long 
parallel belts, some of them 10° or 15° broad, some broader, 
with narrow intervals of clear sky between them, in a 
direction from NW. to SE. This arrangement was clearly 
seen in all the western part of the sky, although there exist- 
ed under these clouds thinner fleecy irregular ones, which 
here and there obscured it for short distances. These lower 
irregular clouds prevailed more in the eastern part of the sky ; 
but there, also, the arrangement of the belts of stratus was 
recognised through their intervals. One of the irregular 
thin clouds lay over the moon, then nearly south, and nearly 
at full; and its consistency was such as to obscure the dark 
spaces on her disc, although not its circular outline. The 
lofty stratus clouds were, in some parts at least, of much 
denser consistency, as was proved by their totally obscuring 
some very brilliant falling stars, which passed behind them, 
as will be afterwards described. 
The exhibition of pencils of aurora at the W. by S. space 
was of unusual brilliancy, and the corruscations incessant, as 
they brightened up, and faded, and suddenly disappeared, 
and were renewed, successively. The colour at the lower 
extremity was a lively minium red, but only for a short way 
up; the upper part being of the common greenish-yellow. 
They crossed, angularly, the lofty cloud nearest to the 
western horizon, which was narrow, and were clearly seen 
upon its face, and stretching their extremities into the clear 
sky on each side of it. Even the feeblest of them maintain- 
ed its continuity, and its peculiar tinge of colour, over both 
the thinner edges and denser middle part of the stratus. 
About five minutes after it was first seen, this aurora became 
extinct; but in the course of three or four minutes was sud- 
denly renewed, with a slight shift to the southward, in as 
great or even greater brilliancy. In the mean time, the 
aurora at the NW. space exhibited like appearances and 
colours ; red at the lower extremities of the brilliant pencils, 
and greenish-yellow upwards. The space here occupied by 
