Nov. 23, 1882 | 
horizon, nearly vertically below the Pleiades, like the gleam of 
another moon rising in a haze. It grew out slowly, as we 
watched it, into a strong beam of white light slanting towards 
the south, ard we stood in wonderment as it Jengthened out 
making straight towards the moon. Presently its tail was dis- 
engaged from the cloud, and it stole through the sky like a long 
luminous nebulous ‘‘cigar ship” exactly across the moon, and 
away down into the west, sinking as slowly as it had risen, In 
the middle of its course it was, as well as I could estimate, about 
40° in length and about 5° in width. The ends were, | think, 
slightly tapering and hazy ; the sides pretty well defined. I did 
not notice if the moon’s crescent was at all blurred during the 
passage ; my wife is under the impression that it was. The 
time occupied from first appearance to final disappearance was 
about one minute. You will probably receive many accounts of 
this strange apparition. It will be interesting to know the posi- 
tion relative to the moon in which it was seen by different ob- 
servers. Was it clear of the earth’s atmosphere or not? 
Woodbridge, November 19 Husert AIRY 
You will no doubt have abundant accounts of Friday’s aurora. 
I have received the following from a correspondent in North 
Devon, dated Friday 6.5 p.m..... “‘As we watched, a 
brilliant comet (apparently) appeared near Saturn ” [which must 
have been low down, a little N. of E.] ‘fand in a direct line 
lietween Saturn and the moon” [at that hour nearly in the 
meridan and 28° in altitude]. ‘It was about twice as big as 
the comet.” [Here follows a sketch, which the above ‘asides’ 
render it unnecessary to copy.] ‘‘It travelled stern foremost 
towards the moon, and was in sight a full minute. As it dis- 
appeared it seemed to leave a black cloud of its own shape which 
also disappeared in a few seconds (an optical delusion perhaps).” 
It does not appear to have occurred to the writer that this 
appearance was itself auroral. J. HERSCHEL 
30, Sackville Street, November 18 
I aM unable to explain the following occurrence which I 
observed this evening at 6h. 5m. p.m. It appeared to be a 
well-defined spindle-shaped body of a cloudy consistency, having 
a brilliant white colour. It subtended a visual angle of about 
20 degrees. I first observed it due east, and immediately 
noticed that it was moving with very great rapidity, as in less 
than one minute it had disappeared below the horizon in the 
south-south-west. There was a rosy aurora visible at the time 
in the north, which, however, was in no way connected with it. 
The atmosphere was perfectly clear in that part of the heavens 
traversed by the phenomenon, though in other parts of the sky 
there were a few stationary clouds visible. A friend who was 
with me atthe time will corroborate all my statements. As I 
am utterly at a loss to explain this phenomenon, I would be 
much obliged for any suggestions or explanations from your 
readers. Aw Ss) Ee 
Cambridge, November 17 
I THOUGHT that many of the readers of NATURE would be 
interested in a curious pheaomenon which appeared during the 
beautiful coloured aurora on the evening of the 17th. I was 
watching it from a position commanding a large view of the sky, 
when, as I was looking south-east, a long patch of white light 
appeared about 10° above the horizon, This was commonplace 
at first, but then it quickly developed into a long, gleaming, and 
well-defined streak. It looked very like two brilliant comets 
joined end to end by the tip of the tail. This took about a 
minute to form, and when complete, it started off in the direc- 
tion of its length in a curved path which gradually rose above 
the horizon until it culminated at an elevation of 30° on the 
magnetic meridian ; after which the west end inclined down- 
wards, and it continued its journey in inverse order to the south- 
west, keeping its symmetry and shape like a rigid body all the 
way, until it reached a position in the south-west, corresponding 
to its place when forming, and here it halted and dissolved away. 
The band of light was about 30° long, and beautifully curved 
along its path. It took about three-quarters of a minute in its 
transit, which occurred at 6 p.m. It was an extraordinary sight, 
and I hope some one else has observed it. During the pheno- 
menon, the aurora in the north-east and north-west (magnetic) 
was very fine, showing rich red and apple-green streamers ; 
these were very steady all the time. I have made a sketch of 
the band of light, as nearly as I can remember it. It was very 
bright, even when under the moon. I think this sketch gives a 
govd idea of it, and I inclose it in case it be wanted. The 
southern sky was quite c/eay at the time. H. D. TAYLOR 
Haworth, York, November 19 
NATURE 
87 
On Friday, November 17, we had a great auroral displiy 
at 4.30 before sunset, and continuing till 5.30, the heavens were 
aglow with auroral light of a rosy tint, changing occasionally 
into silver grey. A haze overspread the sky until 10 o’clock, 
from which hour till 2 a.m. Saturday the sky was brilliant with 
aurora. The streams of light culminated near the zenith, and 
at midnight the magnetic storm appeared to reach its maximum. 
The magnetic disturbance must have been great for several 
hours, as nearly all telegraphic operations had to be suspended. 
Newcastle-on-Tyne, November 19 T. P. BARKAS 
Axour 5.20 p.m. on Friday last I witnessed the most remark- 
able auroral display I have ever seen, and as it only lasted a few 
minutes, may have escaped the a'tention of many. My attention 
was first attracted by a broad crimson band stretching quite 
across the sky, and almost coinciding with the Milky Way. 
Some of the bright stars could be seen through it, but gradually 
it became opaque at the zenith and appeared to concentrate 
around an opening, forming a complete corona, out of which the 
rays seemed to boil over and dart out in every direction, but 
chiefly northwards. It was a most weird-looking sight, and 
reminded me of ‘The Glory,” as shown in pictures of Saints. 
Overhead it rapidly faded away, but bright streamers were 
visible up till 9 p.m., when a thick fog came on. 
W. MAKEIG JONES 
Wath-on-Dearne, Rotherham, November 20 
In connection with the recent appearance of the aurora 
borealis, a remarkably large sun-spot was visible to-day, occu- 
pying a position in about the middle of the disc. The spot 
might be called an aggregation of spots, from its area, Several 
minor spots were also visible, which were discrete. 
Rugby, November 19 GrorGE RAYLEIGH VICARS 
THERE was visible here on Friday, the 17th, between 5.30 
and 6 p.m., a display of aurora. My attention was called to it 
by the ruddiness of the sky towards the north, and I continued 
watching it till near 6 o’clock. The sky was clouded with 
cumulo stratus, and the stars only visible here and there through 
the intervals of these clouds. The centre of the ruddiness or 
glow appeared to be over Auriga, the most brilliant star of 
which group was just visible. It extended to the east so as to 
cover Gemini, and about an equal distance west. It shifted and 
varied very rapidly, maintaining its ruddy colour, ani this very 
rapidity of shift assured me that it was really an aurora, After 
6 o'clock p.m. the clouds nearly completely covered the sky, 
and neither at 7 o’clock nor at 8 o’clock did I see any further 
sign of the appearance, I could not distinguish any beams 
whatever. J. P. O’REILLY 
Royal College of Science for Ireland, Stephen’s Green, 
Dublin, November 18 
P.S.—I was informed that on the evening of Thursday a 
similar display had been noticed. 
AT about 6.5 p.m. on Friday a bright, white, cloud-like object, 
in shape like a fish-torpedo or a weaver’s shuttle, was observed 
to cross the heavens from east to we-t. _ Its length was roughly 
about 30°, and its breadth atout 4°. I noted it first shoot up, 
like a strong eleciric ray ina fog, a little south of Aldebaran, 
and slowly, as it were, slide along at the same N.P.D, across 
the face of the moon (which was shining brightly at the time), 
and disappear !n the west under Atair. Its surface had a 
mottled appearance; its colour wie ; its motion was slow, 
being visible, from horizon to horizon, upwards of 50 seconds ; 
its brightness was strong, and did not seem to fade, even when 
crossing the moon, and it seemed preceded and followed by a 
strong black margin; though this [ suppose was the effect of 
contrast and subjective only. The aurora was noted here from 
4.30 on Friday till about 5 a.m. on Saturday. 
Joun L. Dosson 
Beaumont College, Old Windsor, November 21 
THE CHLOROPHYLL CORPUSCLES OF 
HYDRA 
i the last number of the Zedtschrift fur wiss. Zoologze 
is an article by Mr. Hamann, assistant in the 
Zoological Institute of Jena, on the “Origin and De- 
velopment of the Green Cells in Hydra.” I cannot allow 
