218 OF ELECTRICITY. CHAP. 7- 4- 



SECTION IV. 



i 



Of the Aurora Borealis or Northern Light*. 



AFTER, the attention of philosophers bgan 

 to be directed to the Atmospheric Electricity, 

 the Aurora Borealis and Australis, commonly 

 called the Northern Lights, were considered as 

 electrical. There appear, however, to have 

 been several different explanations of this 

 phaenomenon. 



Franklin regarded the coruscations of 

 Northern Lights as the result of a slow and 

 continual discharge of electric fluid from the 

 atmosphere about the poles to the air above ; 

 and Sir H. Davy, and also many other Elec- 

 tricians, have noticed the striking similarity 

 between those lights, and Electricity discharged 

 through rare air.f These Auroras are said 

 only to happen towards the poles, and in high 

 latitudes where alone there can be a continual 

 coating of Ice and Snow, to prevent the electric 



* Aurora Polaris would be a better name ; as it is not 

 confined to the Septentrional regions. 



+ Refer to Davy. Elem. Clu-m. Philos. vol. i. p. 1 11. 



