40 



Al'i:iHA BOREALIS. 



7TU 



*d S*-yott.-ln a long and 

 published in the Anunean 

 l** Prof. Elias ixx>mis follows 

 op bU previous important contribution to our 

 knowledge of the relation between sun-ppU 

 ad auroral display*. The conclusions at wlmh 

 Prof. LoomU had formerly arrived were these : 

 tbat auroral, at least in the middle latitudes of 

 Europe and America, are subject to a law of 

 periodicity; tbat their grandest exhibitions 

 are repeated at intervals of about sixty years; 

 and that there are also fluctuations less dts- 

 Unctiy marked, which succeed each other at 

 an average interval of ten or eleven years, the 

 times of maxima coinciding quite remarkably 

 with the maxima of the solar spots. The au- 

 thor Improve* the opportunity to test his con- 

 elusions offered by the publication of IV.:". 

 Lovering'* new and very complete catalogue 

 of auroras. The following table exhibits the 

 dates of the maximum and minimum of auroral 

 disturbance* and sun-spots, at periods of eleven 

 or twelve years, from which it will be seen 

 ihst the coincidence is remarkable : 



AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND. 



agreement bet ween* the dates of maximum and 

 minimum of the two classes of phenomena: 



BAT* or MAXIMUM. 





1WM 



rm 

 MU 



1-:- 



DATS OP 



W74 

 17M 



1410 



1 .'I 



UH 



1734 

 I7W 



]-." 

 MM.! 

 184S 

 MM 



Prof. LoomU comments as follows : 

 In only two eases b then any sensible difference 

 in the dales of minimum of the two classes of phe- 

 nomena. Alan In the year 1810 only one aurora was 

 neanstd. so that thla yew presents no real dlscrcp- 

 i. ., 



From IftM to 1 *& the number of auroras wss quite 

 mail, so that for the entire series of observations 

 we may say there la an almost complete identity in 

 ths dates of minimum of the two classes of phc- 



WUh regard to the dates of maximum there Is 

 dIseordsiiM, which In 1-4" amounts to three 

 It U also notlosabU that the magnetic curve 

 d nearly stationary from 18M to IMS, while 

 the spat maximum waa sharply defined, suggest 

 bur ths Idee that the connection between the auroral 

 aM sprrlf carves ls more intimate than between 

 the awfal a&d sttD-*pot curves. 



The dbermaey IB IftSO U apparently due to a 

 a^Meortripl7ssaxlmasofthsaur..r.lcurve. The 

 H*w Havw sbssi atiims show a maximum i. 

 aajd saathsT m 1M; the combination of all the ob- 

 _j shows thrse maxima, vi... In 184S, 1880. 

 1 1 Wf, the grsaUst ftwinenry being in lie- ; that 



Prof. Loomisadds: 



We perceive that the auroral maximum generally 

 occur, a litUe later than the magnetic maximnn 

 average difference amounting to one year ; whit 

 time of auroral minimum i-'uln-r aoinaUaf with the 



) of bath maxima and minima Indi- 

 UM erhleal periods of the auroral curve 

 a llttW tattr than those of the sun-spot curve, 

 aa>4 that UM amoral minimum U frequently more pro- 

 I*fs4 thsa) Iks smH^iot maxlmom. 



The author alan introduces a comparison bo- 

 tweea tlie aarorml carve and the mat." 

 rerre, with rMolta still more surpriing. The 

 (otkrwtag uMe shows the comparatively close 



magnetic minimum or Klightlv precedes it, the aver- 

 sge difference amounting to about half a . 

 On the whole, there seems to be no room for ques- 



Mat the number of auroras seen in the i: 

 latitudes of Europe and America exhibits a true 

 periodicity, following very closely the in:. 

 riods, but not exactly copying them. In pattMMf 

 we notice that during those periods in which the 

 range of the ma. '.^nation was unusually 



small, as from 1794 to 1824, auroral cxhi 

 extremely few in number and insignificant in re 

 of brilliancy. 



If now we inquire as to tho probable connection 

 between these three classes of phenomena, . 

 not suppose that a small black spot on the sun exert* 

 any direct influence on the earth's magnetism . r 

 electricity, but we must rather conclude that the 

 black spot Is a result of a disturbance < 

 surface which is aceompani .n of 



some Influence from the sun, which is almost in- 

 stantly felt upon the earth in an unusuul ili.-t ;,' 

 of the earth's magnetism, and a flow of electricity 

 developing the auroral light in the upper regions of 

 the earth's atmosphere. The appcaranc. 

 idea that this emanation consists of a ! 



ity from the sun. If we maintain that liirht 

 and In at' ure the result of vibrations of a rare ether 

 which fills all space, the analogy bet 

 agents and electricity would lead us to conclude thai 

 this agent also is the result of vibrations 



M, or at least that it is a force capable of i 

 propagated through the ether, with a velocity simi- 

 lar to that of light. While this Influence is travel- 

 ing through the void celestial spaces, it develops no 



hut. as soon as it cm-uuntcrs the earth At- 

 mosphere, which appears to e\ti n lit of 

 shout 600 miles, it develops light, an.l ,ts m-.v, 

 are controlled by the earth's magnetic force, in a man- 

 ner analogous to the influence of nn artificial magnet 

 upon a current of electricity circulating round it. 



AUSTRALIA LVD \F.\V XKALANK. Tlie 

 area and population of the British colonies in 

 Australia, nml of \<-w Xi-alnml. were, ureonl- 

 ing to the latest official account*, as follows : 



FopriMta. | Yr of Com. 



Hew Bottk Wales.. 



V In i iris. 



NoVlralia'.!!! 

 Onnlown 



rn Aunt rails. 

 Northern Territory. 



Tsminln 



New Zealand 



Total 





DSO.flM 



n m 



Mil 

 MUM 



em .am 



1W.WR 



. 



St,7h5 



!U>T7.Tm 



April, 1K71 

 istl 

 " 1S71 



inn 



March, 1870 







Inclusive of natives. 



