72 Scientifie Intelligence. (JAN. 
places, hardly to be perceived ; in others, very strong ; and many 
of the radiant points extended southward of the polar star, and 
very brilliant. An hour afterwards, the radiant points were less 
vivid, and the dark cloud seemed to break off towards the south. 
Perhaps, it may be worthy of remark, that a south wind gene- 
rally prevails shortly after the appearance of this phenomenon. 
Many persons in our streets seemed to consider this pheno- 
menon as intended by the Supreme Disposer of events, to fore- 
show some heavy calamity coming upon the earth. But we are 
not supported by just principles of reason in forming such a 
conclusion ; for let it be considered, that at Greenland it is seen 
almost every night, and was very useful to three of our country- 
men who wintered there, being left at Spitzbergen in Aug. 1630, 
till the following year, and must be so in general to the 
inhabitants of that dreary region. Very frequently it is seen at 
Iceland, Lapland, and Siberia, and about the Shetland Isles, 
where the inhabitants know this phenomenon by the appellation 
of the merry dancers ; and how are we to ascertain to what 
state, or nation, such calamity is portended by this phenomenon, 
or when it will happen? Are those nations where it is seen so 
constantly to be as constantly visited? and are they always 
visited when this sign appears? The fact is quite otherwise ; 
for at such times as this phenomenon has been most extraordi- 
nary, so as to merit the regard of historians, nothing peculiarly 
tragical is related in connexion with it, or, at least, historians 
have not noticed any such calamity, or could not find any such 
to apply to it; therefore, we should regard the aurora borealis 
not as a token of Divine displeasure, but what it really is, one of 
the ordinary phenomena of nature, to be ranked with comets, 
meteors, mock-suns, &c. Should you think the above interest- 
ing to the readers of your journal, the insertion will much oblige, 
Sir, your obedient and humble servant, 
Rogpert RENNEY. 
Erratum. 
Vol. ix. p. 251, line 4, and index, for Pensey read Renney. 
X. Death of Professor Bucholz. 
The chemical readers of the Annals of Philosophy will learn 
with regret the death of Christian Frederick Bucholz, an Apothe- 
cary, Doctor of Sciences, and Professor of Chemistry at Erfort, 
in Saxony. He died on June 8, 1818, Inthe Jou. de Pharm, 
(Oct. 1818, p. 487), where Bucholz’s death is announced, he is 
said to have been in the 49th year of his age. But I conceive 
that there must be some th in this statement ; for the first 
chemical paper of Bucholz, on the mode of preparing the fusible 
salt of ure, was published in 1771, or 47 years ago (Chym. 
Abhandlung vom schmelzbare Urinsalze. In N. Hamb. Magazin, 
p- 58). Now we cannot suppose him to have begun to publish 
the results of his chemical experiments till he was at least 15 or 
