On the jdurora Borealis. 2^3 



€ 



It is obvious, that those counties which contain large 

 manufacturing towns exhiiiit a mortalitv wholly indepen- 

 dent of their climate, as is exemplified in tlie case of War- 

 wickshire ; while the natural salubrity of others, for in- 

 stance Cornwall, is probably rendered more conspicuous 

 by their exemptit)U from sedentary employments. 



XLI. On the Aurora Borealis. By Mr. B. M. Forsteb, 



To Mr. Tilloch. 



Sir,— iJEiNG desirous of calling the attention of mete- 

 orologisls and other persons to that beauiiful meteor the 

 aurora borealis, or northern lights, in order that they may 

 observe it accurately, I beo; the insertion of the following 

 remarks in your Magazine as soon as may be convenient. 



For several years past, these lights have made their ap- 

 pearance very seldon) in this part of the island. Whether 

 thev have been seen as usual in the more northern counties 

 I wish to be informed. They are, I understand, very brilliant 

 at times in the Shetland islands, where they are called the 

 Merrv Dancers, from their rapidity of motion. 



Tlie celebrated Dr. Halley remarks of the aurora borealis 

 as follows (see Phil, 'i'rans. Mott's Abridgement, vol. ii.) : 



*' This was the only sort of meteor I had not as yet 

 seen, and of wliich I began to despair, since it is certain it 

 halh not happened to any remarkable degree in this part of 

 Emduid since I was born ; nor is the like recorded in the 

 Eni'lish annals since the year of our Lord 1574, that is 

 above one hundred and forty years ago, in the reign of 

 queen Elizabeth.'' 



In the same paper, Halley afterwards mentions «' one of 

 K 4 small 



