EXI'KIHTIOX TO 1'OLNT ]:.\ IM;()\\ , ALASKA. 363 



sometimes reaching the number of six, but mostly fewer. When at their broadest they extended 

 from Itcgulus to tlie head of Orion. All the arches that appeared had The usual motion to the 

 southward. There \vas a good deal of vibratory motion, lint the vibrations being extremely short 

 they were scarcely perceptible. -Most of the arches were propagated laterally from Hit- SK. 

 Finally it broke up into numerous rays and nebulous patches scattered over the sky and disap- 

 peared. 



\<>r<'uil > 2-".. 1SS], 1 a. m. io 10.20 a. m. Commenced as faint, diffused light near the northern 

 horizon, which soon 'brightened and extended to the eastward, so as to form a bright curtained 

 arch which at - a. in. extended through Ursa Major, through (lemini, and a little above Orion, 

 with li'ith its ends sharply curved toward the X. From its upward side rose numerous slender 

 quivering rays of almost imperceptible light, which sometimes separated from the parent arch and 

 united laterally at their bases, formiug a second but less brilliant arch above the old one. Occa- 

 sional streamers appeared at its north end. 1 may here remark that the sharp curvature of the 

 ends of arches toward the X. is a general feature up to the present. At 7 a. m. reduced to a broad 

 band extending a few degrees along the northern horizon with steady light and brightness ;:. 

 Very faint arches in the S. 



Eight a. m. low arch running from SSE. to SW., E. end brilliant, highest point between Orion 

 and the Hyades: at 9 this arch had developed into a broad fan-shaped sheaf of pale streamers 

 rising nearly to the zenith. After this it gradually faded and disappeared at JO. 20 a. m. 



Xorrmbrr _"> nnil 24, ISSl, 0.30 _p. m., 12 noon. Faint streaks and partly developed rays in tho 

 SE. at !>.:W p. m. ,Soon afterwards developed into several broad bands of very irregular shape 

 extending from SK. to X\Y. through Frsa Major. Very bright spiral whorls in the SE. at 11 p. 

 HI. while a faint band crossed to the XW. At 12 p. m. top of arch was in Cygnus pale in the SK. 

 but bright in the XW. with an occasional streamer. After this slowly faded, and all that remained 

 until a. m. was a baud of very pale diffused light lying along the, S. and SW. horizon. 



At 7 a. in. a pale semicircular arch extended around the hori/on with an elevation of about 

 l.V from a point right under Regains through the head of Orion, and ended in the XW. In the 

 AV.. when brightest, a number of pale converging rays shot up occasionally towards the zenith, 

 which soon afterwards rose and formed au imperfect corona with converging point exactly in the 

 y.enitlt. There was a great display of motion very rapid up and down and lateral, but with 

 nothing approaching regularity. Merry dancers, whorls, and convolutions followed each other in 

 quick succession. The general motion was from S. to N., the opposite of what itusually is. After it 

 passed the zenith it became very bright in the XW. so that the illumination cast therefrom on the 

 snow was distinctly visible; occasional dark rays at this time shot across it upwards towards the 

 zenith. They appeared very dark, and seemed like shadows of some opaque bodies thrown across 

 The surrounding brightness. At a. m. it was considerably faded, and all that remained was the 

 usual faint band lying near the southern hori/on running from SE. to XW. At about 11 a. m. it- 

 brightened somewhat again and a few rays again appeared in the N W. and extended nearly to the 

 zenith. Disappeared at 12 m. 



.Xnri'iiilii-r 2-"), 1SS1. ."> a. m. l<> !) n. ?/'. Faint patches appearing at intervals at different parl.s 

 of the sky, principally in the K. : at S a. m. had developed into a broad wavy line running from SK. 

 hoii/mi through zenith to the XW,, its brightest point being in the SE. At S a. in. a- small arch 

 from SK. to X. about 15 above the horizon, and another broken irregular arch from the same 

 point To the XW. but very faint; still seen through breaks in The clouds at a. in., but immedi- 

 ately afterwards obscured. 



\orrinlnr 2<i, 1SS1, 2.20 n. m. 1<> .'i..">0 . //(.Occasional glimpses of auroral bands through tho 

 clouds to the SK. during this time. 



\i>rc niht'i- 27. issi, I a. /it. to It . in. 1'robably brilliant, but the clouds prevented it being 

 satisfactorily seen. At 2 a. m. the light appeared to form a circle, round the zenith, a corona being 

 probably formed. An arch of irregular shape ran from X. to SE. at an elevation of about !"> 

 above the northern horizon at 7 a. m.. brightest at tho X'. end, with occasional streamers. After 

 This it became much dimmer, but did not disappear until it was obscured by clouds about !> a. in, 



.\<>ri>)iihr>- '_"<, 1S.SI, 2 a.m. in 1 j>. m. When iirst observed it appeared as two low broken 

 nrclu-s running from the SK. to a point XXW. At tho same time the sky was covered with patches 



