Meteorological Observations made at Leith. 191 



February 11.— An Aurora of considerable brilliancy was seen in the 

 evening. The day had been clear, with bright sunshine. Mean tempera- 

 ture 42°. Wind west. 



February 27. — Since the 18th, the weather has been very stormy. 

 Winds S. W. Temperature ranging between 31° and 52°. Pressure very 

 variable. 



March 10. — A very high temperature for the season occurred to-day ; 

 the maximum having been 71° in the shade. The sky was clear and 

 cloudless. Wind variable, but chiefly east and west. Dew point 47°. 



March 14. — Since the 10th, the weather has been particularly clear and 

 pleasant. Wind S. E. Pressure always above 30 inches. The minimum 

 temperature of the preceding night was 31° ; so that within eighty hours 

 we have had a range of temperature of 40°. 



In the evening much rain fell, and the wind veered to W. 



March 29.— Immediately after the fading of the evening twilight, at 

 8 h IS' p. m., a bright luminous ray was seen to rise from the eastern hori- 

 zon, gradually to extend itself towards the zenith, and thence towards the 

 western horizon, presenting, when completed, the appearance of an arch of 

 silvery light, similar to that seen here on the 19th March 1825. 



When first formed, it was a few degrees to the north of the zenith of 

 this place ; the light in the centre was rather diffuse ; its edges were irre- 

 gular ; and the western limb had, as it were, a plumose appearance. It 

 soon evinced a decided motion towards the south, and in a few minutes 

 reached our zenith. Its edges were now sharply denned ; and throughout 

 its whole course it was nearly uniform in appearance and breadth : the in- 

 tensity of its light in the zenith had increased ; while, in the same quarter > 

 the breadth had considerably diminished. 



The direction it now had was very nearly at right angles with the mag- 

 netic meridian. 



At half-past eight, faint beams of the Aurora began to rise from the 

 northern horizon, and at one time promised to form a splendid display ; 

 but the coruscations never became very vivid ; they were not rapid in their 

 motions, and did not flit along the horizon. 



The arch still continued its motion towards the south, and in 15 mi- 

 nutes passed through a space of about 20°. Its southern edge reached a 

 point about 24° or 25° south of the zenith, beyond which it did not go. 

 The light now became gradually fainter, and at length disappeared. 



Meanwhile the Aurora in the north continued to play, but with no in- 

 crease of vividness. For some minutes, soon after 9 o'clock, we observed 

 broad bands of light, having their longer axes (which generally subtended 

 angles of about 18° or 20°) parallel with the horizon, darting with great 

 velocity across the illuminated space from E. to W-, and from W. to E. 

 These formed, ran their course, and vanished in a moment : they had no 

 vertical motion, but they appeared at various degrees of elevation, never 

 higher, however, than 30°. Soon after this interesting (and, perhaps, un- 

 usual) display, the beams disappeared, and nothing was left but a diffuse 

 luminousness along the horizon. 



March 30.' — Minimum temperature of the preceding night, 31°. Wind 

 N. and N. W. Weather fine. 



