95 



The studies were performed partly in Sodankylä, partly 

 in Kultala and began already in the autumn 1882 and were 

 continued into the spring 1884. 



The feeble flames and the diffuse light were often ob- 

 served above the point-apparotus on several mountain tops, 

 especially on the Kommattivaara in Sodankylä and on Pie- 

 tarintunturi in Kultala. They could be either produced or. 

 when they were present before, reinforced by introducing 

 in the circuit (point-apparatus-galvamometer-earthplate) an 

 Holtz electrical influence machine charged and hold in mo- 

 vement. These phenomena must therefore have been pro- 

 duced by an electric eurrent. The y. r. in the speotroscope 

 showed their auroral nature. For further details we must 

 refer to the 4:th part of vol. III of „Exploration internationale. 

 Expedition pol. Finlandaise". 



The rayed diffuse light appeared especially the 12 of 

 November, 14 and 16 of December 1883. The 12 of No- 

 vember neither the dark strips nor the luminous knöt appe- 

 ared so distinctly that all observers were sure of their exi- 

 stence but the two other days the phenomena were verv 

 distinct, because the observers were nearer to the apparatur 

 on Kommattivaara. 



Regarding the luminous phenomena in form of high 

 auroral beams, we must treat them more extensively be- 

 cause they seem to appear only on rare, exceptional circum- 

 stances and because they gave the impulse to use the point- 

 apparatus for measuring the EMF of the electrical air- 

 current. 



The first occasion where this phenomenon was ob- 

 served occured in Enare 27 of November 1871 above a verv 

 little point-apparatus on the mountain Luosmavaara, about 

 4 km from the parsonage of Enare (lat. 68° 55' long. 

 27° 13'). 



The fig. 9 shows the beam such as it was observed 

 on this occasion, giving y. r. in the spectroscope, though its 

 position above the point-apparatus could not be determina- 

 ted exactly in consequence of its short existence. Already 



