48 THE CANADIAN NATURALIST. 



could not find that it was really darker than the other parts 

 of the clear sky. The upper edge of the arch was not defined, 

 shooting out rays of light towards the zenith : one or two 

 points in the arch were very brilliant, which were varying 

 in their position. Over head, and towards the south, east, 

 and west, flashings of light were darting from side to side : 

 sometimes the sky was dark, then instantly lighted up with 

 these fitful flashes, vanishing and changing as rapidly; some- 

 times, a kind of crown would form around a point south of 

 the zenith, consisting of short converging pencils. At a 

 quarter before nine, I looked at it again : the arch was as be- 

 fore, but slightly changed in form ; the zenith, too, much the 

 same. About nine, the upper and southern sky was filled 

 with clouds or undefined patches of light nearly stationary ; 

 the eastern part, near the top, being deep crimson, which 

 speedily spread over the upper part of the northern sky ; a 

 series of long converging pencils was now arranged around 

 a blank space about 15° south of the zenith, the northern 

 and eastern rays blood-red, the southern and western pale 

 yellow ; the redness would flash about as did the white light 

 before, still not breaking the general form of the corona. In 

 a few minutes all the red hue had vanished, leaving the 

 upper sky nearly unoccupied. The arch also was now totally 

 gone, and in its place there were only irregular patches of 

 yellow light, of varying radiance. At a quarter past nine, 

 the upper sky was again filled with pale flashes ; in the 

 north were perpendicular pillars of light comparatively sta- 

 tionary. At half past nine, no material change : at ten, all 

 had assumed a very ordinary appearance, merely large clouds 

 of pale light were visible ; after which I took no farther 

 notice of it. I listened, as on other occasions, with great 

 attention, but could not hear the slightest sound proceeding 

 from the meteor. The southern sky, near the horizon, was 

 unoccupied during the whole of the continuance of the Au- 

 rora. 



