220 Singular electrical Phenomenon 



of the red crag fossils, most probably it was originally em- 

 bedded in that formation. For the loan of this interesting 

 specimen I am indebted to William Fitch, Esq., of Ipswich, 

 who has collected many rarities from the Suffolk crag. Should 

 it be thought necessary to place this shell in a new genus, it 

 might be called Atractodon, with the specific name of elegans* 



Art. XIII. Notice of a singular electrical Phenomenon on the 

 Night of Feb. 18. 1837. By the Rev. W. B. Clarke, A.M. 

 F.G.S., &c. [Read at the Meteorological Society, March 14. 

 1837.] 



The weather, during the last few weeks, in the south and 

 west of England, has been extremely variable : heavy rains 

 and violent gales of wind, at intervals of two or three days, 

 have succeeded each other continually. 



On February 16. there was a slight aurora, about 9. p. m., 

 in the north ; and at 1 1 p. m., a wide and brilliant halo, com- 

 prehending within it the planets Mars and Jupiter, as well 

 as the moon. The following day (17th) was warm, bright, 

 and sunny — a perfect spring day ; but the calmness of the air 

 was accompanied with a certain milky haze along the edge of 

 the western horizon, which, together with the southerly di- 

 rection of the wind, betokened what I predicted, heavy rain 

 and wind. From midnight till about 4 p. M. of the 18th, it 

 rained heavily, with high wind ; but, clearing off about 7 p. m., 

 the moon came out in a bright cloudless sky. 



About 9 p. m., however, there arose from the west a band of 

 thick clouds, separated from each other, and about 2° wide, 

 which gradually advanced, till about 11^ p.m., across the 

 zenith, and a few degrees below the moon towards the east, 

 where they disappeared. These clouds were of a dull Jiery 

 red, and were evidently like the reflection of a fire from the 

 earth ; but their character was decidedly auroral, and, though 

 they emitted no flashes, occasionally exhibited a gradual 

 darkening of the hue which they assumed ; the smallest pale 

 stars shone through this red filmy vapour ; and, during the 

 time, there was a degree of illumination in the northern hori- 

 zon considerably stronger than that of the light of the moon, 

 but tempered and softened into a white cloudy appearance. 

 These red clouds vanished in the east, and were succeeded, 

 in about 25 minutes afterwards, by white fleecy scatterings 

 of clouds from the north and north-west, which were suc- 



* The generic name was suggested to me by Mr. Searles Wood. 



