on tfie Night of Feb. 18. 1837. 221 



ceeded by a most tremendous fall of rain during the whole of 

 the 19th, and a gale of very furious character, which did not 

 subside till the morning of the 20th, when the wind veered 

 round to w., n.w\, and s.w. 



There can be no doubt, I think, that this phenomenon was 

 truly electrical, and of the character of the aurora borealis, 

 and, like it, succeeded by wind and rain from the west and 

 south-west. 



Sta7iley Green, near Poole, Feb. 21. 1837. 



SHORT COMMUNICATIONS. 



Notice of a Meteor seen on Saturday, February 25. — On 

 Saturday, the 25th ult., at 8£ p. M«, a most brilliant meteor 

 became visible very near Stella Polaris. Meteors generally 

 take an oblique direction towards the earth ; but the one above 

 mentioned fell perpendicularly, and vanished at an altitude of 

 about 20°. The diameter of the nucleus was about one fourth 

 of the apparent diameter of the moon. The lower part was 

 of a flame-colour; and the body of the meteor was of a fine 

 brilliant light blue. Its train was in length about four times 

 the diameter of the meteor, perfectly conical ; the base having 

 the same diameter as the meteor ; and the apex seemed to 

 consist of a single spark. It remained visible seven or eight 

 seconds ; during which its brilliancy was so great as to cast 

 shadows as strong as those cast by the moon when she is 

 three or four days old. The night was clear and frosty ; 

 wind N. w., rather strong. Thermometer 30° during the night. 

 — W. H. White, Secretary to the Meteorological Society. 

 March 10. 1837. 



Singular Auroral Light seen at Wycombe. — On Saturday, 

 the 18th inst., about half-past ten p. M., an auroral light, of 

 rather an extraordinary description, was observed : it consisted 

 of two streams of a bright vermilion colour ; the one arising 

 in the north-east, passing over Arcturus and Ursa Major, 

 and the other originating in the south-west, leaving Orion on 

 the south, and passing over Aldebaran and Capella, and 

 meeting in the zenith, forming a luminous arch of no great 

 breadth. The western limb was by much the brightest, and 

 shot forth, at intervals, rays of light approaching to a flame 

 colour. The whole soon faded away: the eastern portion, 

 spreading wider, and becoming fainter, assumed a mottled 

 appearance, like that denominated mackerel-sky, but of a light 

 red tint. The barometer stood at 29-37, and the thermometer 



