196 THE AURORA BOREALIS. 



zenith. This sometimes takes place so frequently, 

 and the tongues are so long and numerous, that the 

 aurora has been popularly termed the " northern 

 streamers." 



Although pale-green is the most frequent colour, 

 the aurora borealis has often been observed with 

 blue and red hues ; and the sky has been seen suf- 

 fused with an intense crimson colour by it. 



Captains Parry and Lyon saw these northern 

 lights in full splendour during their residence in the 

 arctic regions. They tell us that " the aurora had 

 a tendency to form an irregular arch, which, in calm 

 weather, was very often distinct, though its upper 

 boundary was seldom well defined ; but whenever 

 the air was agitated, showers of rays spread in every 

 direction with the rapidity of lightning, but always 

 appearing to move to and from a fixed point, some- 

 what like a ribbon held in the hand and shaken 

 with an undulatory motion. ~No rule, however, 

 could be traced in the movement of those lighter 

 parcels called the ' merry dancers/ which flew 

 about perpetually towards every quarter ; becoming 

 in stormy weather more rapid in their motions, and 

 sharing all the wildness of the blast. They gave 

 an indescribable air of magic to the whole scene, 

 and made it not wonderful that, by the untaught 

 Indian, they should be viewed as ' the spirits of his 

 fathers roaming through the land of souls.'" 



We are told by some that the aurora borealis is 

 accompanied by a loud hissing and crackling sound ; 



