MR BAIRD ON THE AURORA BOREALIS. 47 



of a more interesting nature still are of frequent occurrence at this 

 dead season of the year, and well deserving the notice of the observer 

 of nature. As few phenomena of this character have hitherto been 

 taken much notice of in this Club, I shall make no apology for intro- 

 ducing to you some observations made upon a very beautiful pheno- 

 menon, which has been exhibited in great brilliancy several times 

 since our last meeting — I mean "those dancing meteors " that cease- 

 less shake " a waving blaze, refracted o'er the heavens" — the Aurora 

 Borealis. I do not intend making any detailed remarks upon the 

 theories connected with this interesting phenomenon, but merely to 

 describe the appearances as I witnessed them upon two occasions since 

 our last meeting, within this district, and then make a few observations 

 upon the state of weather following their appearance. The first occa- 

 sion alluded to was the 18th of September last, the evening of our last 

 anniversary meeting, upon which evening I observed the phenomenon 

 in great splendour whilst travelling from Dunse to Cockburnspath. As 

 soon as dayhght had disappeared the phenomenon commenced being 

 visible, and as the evening advanced it waxed more and more brilliant ; 

 and though, for some part of the time, a clear moon of five or six days 

 old shone with considerable brightness, it did not at all impair the 

 brilliancy of the "waving blaze" of the aurora. At first there was 

 observed a white arch, resembling a light cloud of the " Cirrus " for- 

 mation, extending over the northern horizon nearly from east to west 

 about 20° or 30° above the horizon. This at first was faint, while some 

 remains of daylight lingered on the hills, but gradually, as the evening 

 became darker, the arch waxed brighter, and then we were made sen- 

 sible of its unsteady blaze, now fading away, till only a dim arch could 

 be seen, and anon suddenly starting forth to its original brilliancy, but 

 never altogether disappearing. Soon afterwards, perhaps half an hour 

 after the arch became visible, jets of white light shot forth from the 

 edge of the arch in one or two places, and streamed over to the zenith. 

 As these disappeared, fresh portions of the arch shot forth fresh 

 streams of liquid light, which blazed over half the heavens, disappear- 

 ing in their turn as rapidly as they formed, and anon being replaced 

 by fi'esh and more brilliant streams, till at times the whole northern 

 half of the sky blazed bright with the flickering meteors. From the 

 west side of the arch long tapering streams shot forth in a slanting 

 direction towards the zenith, in the centre beautiful straight jets 

 tapered up towards the same point of the heavens, while, from the 

 eastern portion of it, long splendid streams slanted their fine points 

 upwards, and all three parts converged their points towards the zenith, 

 like the radii of a circle. While this brilliant display lasted, occasion- 

 ally a smaller arch of white light would form a few degrees above the 

 larger one, and from its edges smaller and much shorter jets would be 

 frequently sent forth, which, beginning towards one extremity, woidd 

 sometimes dance and leap, and run in the most extraordinaiy manner 



