
280 
NATURE 

[Aug. 3, 1871 

unknown, but the very existence of this unknown has hitherto 
been questioned. That when it is known this force shall be 
acknowledged to be a spiritual one is repugnant to all philosophy, 
and Serjeant Cox’s haste to name it “psychic” is neither wise 
nor plitic. Things spiritual have been materialised in the 
grossest manner by so-called spiritualists until the word has lost 
its meaning, and come to signify merely a cause unknown of 
phenomena sensual to the last degree. So it will be with 
** psychic” unless some one in authority stop this misuse of it at 
the very beginning. GEORGE FRASER 
Height of Auroras 
I saw the aurora of Sept. 3, 1870, described by H. C. Key 
on p. 121, and I observed it from Io to It P.M., but here it 
never reached quite to the zenith, and at II.2 P.M. was no 
where high. Its brightest feature was then a distinct arch, the 
apex of whose central line was 12° in altitude. If Mr. Key’s 
description of the clear space of 7° or 8° below the aurora in the 
S.S.E., applies to that time, it would seem ‘hat the part of the 
aurora bordering the clear space cannot have been more than 25 
miles above the earth, and was more likely only 17 or 18 miles. 
It would be well if the heights ot auroras were better known 
than they are ; and I think if systematic observations were made 
simultaneously at different stations, our knowledge on the sbject 
would be largely increased, I am willing to be one of the ob- 
servers in such an investigation, and Mr. G. J. Symons, the editor 
of the Meteorological Magazine, has expressed his readiness to 
aid. T. W. BACKHOUSE 
Sunderland, July 22 
Daylight Auroras 
On Sunday, the 23rd July, at 7 4o p.M., there was visible from 
Blackpool a phenomenon which might readily be mistaken for a 
daylight mamfestation of the Aurora. The phenomenon in 
question consisted of a number of parallel streamers of light 
rising vertically and situated from the observer in a north-westerly 
direction. That portion of the sky occupied by these streamers 
would be about twenty-five degrees square, its lowest portion 
being about fifteen degrees above the horizon. At the time of 
the appearance the sun was obscured by a small but very dense 
cloud. Large masses of nimbus clouds cccupied almost the 
whole of the north-western, northern, and north-eastern portion 
of the sky, whilst a few cumulus and cirro-cumulus clouds 
were visible in the eastern and southern parts of the heavens ; 
one-twentieth part perhaps of the whole sky being apparently 
free trom cloud. The streamers, which, like those of the Aurora, 
were intermittent in intensity, contrasted greatly in direction with 
any proximate beams of the sun. The whole thing, however, I 
am strongly of opinion, was nothing more than a meteorological 
phenomenon of a very different nature from the Aurora ; in short, 
I believe it was an unusual appearance attendant on a di-tant 
and somewhat singularly circumstanced rainfall. Immediately 
above the uppermost boundary of the space occupied by the 
streamers there was a large nimbus cloud entirely obscured from 
the sun’s direct rays, whilst that part of the sky occupied by the 
streamers themselves was in a strong sunshine. The whole 
phenomenon lasted about half an hour, and my opinion that it 
was but an unusual aspect of a distant rainfall was strengthened 
by the fact of a heavy shower of rain descending immediately 
aiter the disappearance of the streamers, the upper-current of the | 
air being from the west by north, The rain-fa]l lasted about a 
quarter of an hour. and was accompanied by a double rainbow. 
When it had ceased that portion ot the sky previousiy occupied 
by the streamers and almost half the remainder contained no 
visibie trace of cloud. 
This is the first instance in which I have seen what might be 
mistaken for a daylight manifestation of the Aurora. The 
streamers were so like those of the northern hght, and the 
nature of the appearance nevertheless so obviously connected 
with a transient condition of the atmosphere, that I am very much 
tempted to doubt the visibility at any time of genuine Aurora by | 
daylight. 
Manchester, July 24 
D. WINSTANLEY 

Spectrum of the Aurora 
HAVING noticed that Prof. Zollner observed a 7ed Jive in the 
spectrum of the aurora on October 25, 1870, and as it appears 
this was the first time the ved /ine had been observed in Europe, 
Iam induced to send you the following extract from a short ~ 
paper read by me April 12, 1870, before the Royal Society of 
Victoria, on the great aurora of April 5, 1870 :— 
“«The spectrum of the aurora was obtained with one of Mr. 
Browning’s micro-spectroscopes. When the spectroscope was di- 
rected to the red streamers, a red line, more refrangible than C 
(hydrogen line), a greenish line about the position of the green 
calcium lines, and an indistinct band more refrangible still, which 
appeared as if resolvable into lines, were observed. When the 
spectroscope was directed to the green auroral arch, the red line 
disappeared, and only green ones remained: the rapid disap- 
pearance of the red line as the slit passed across the boundary 
between the base of the streamers and the green arch, was re- 
markable.” 
In this aurora there was the usual auroral cloud-like bank on the 
horizon (sea-horizon) surmounted by an arch of bright greenish 
light to an altitude of nearly 20°, terminating with a very defined 
margin, from which the red streamers sprung upwards as if from 
behind a screen, which shed enough light at midnight to read a 
newspaper by. This aurora was ushered in by great magnetic 
disturbances for days previously, which culminated about the 
time of the brightest display. Rosert J. ELLERY 
Melbourne Observatory, May 19 
Sparrow Cages 
A PARAGRAPH in NATURE speaks of the export of sparrows 
to America. Such long low cages as are described at page 245, 
covered with canvas, may be seen at Leadenhall Market, in which 
very many thousands of Egyptian quails are brought to London 
alive and, I am told, cisposed of as larks ; of course not for the 
voice, A. H. 
July 27 


BOOKS RECEIVED 
Encuisu.—Taine on Intelligence, part 11. ; translated by T. D. Haye (L. 
Reeve and Co.).—A Treatise on Terrestrial Magnetism (Blackwood).—Text- 
books of Science; Elements of Geometry: J. Watson (Longmans).—Domes- 
tc Botany: John Smith(L. Reeve and Co. .—Lighthouse Illumination : T. 
Stevenson, second edition: (A. and C. Black.) 
PAMPHLETS RECEIVED. 
ENG.LisH.—On the Dermal and Visceral Structures of the Kagu, Sun- 
bittern, and Boatbill: Dr. Murie.—Researches on the Anatomy of the Pin- 
nipedia, part 1.: Dr. Murie. Poison ng and Pilfering, Wholesale and Retail. 
—Journal of the Anthropological Institute, part 1. March and April, 1871.— 
Transactions of the Manchester Geological Society, vols. g—10o.—Report of 
the Meteorological Committee of the Royal Society.— Journal of the Statis- 
tical Society, June. 
AmeErIcan.—On the Secular Perturbations of the Planets: A. Hall._—On 
the Application of Photography to the Determination of Astronomical Data 
A. Hall.— Equatorial Observations made at the U. S. National Observatory, 
Washington : A. Hall.—The School Laboratory of Physical Science, part 11. : 
Prof. G. Hinrichs. 

CONTENTS 
Pace 
| Tue ApvANCEMENT OF SCIENCE IN SCHOOLS 257 
| THe APPROACHING Sotar Ecuipse. (With Map.) . as 5 259 
Notes. ... ° z tne eee aoe oe a5) 
i) 
| Tue British AssociATION.—EDINBURGH MEETING, 1871 . . + 261 
Inaugural Address of the President, Sir W. THomson, F.R.S. . 262 
| Section A —Opening Address by Prof. Tair, M.A. . . . 270 
| Section RB —Opening Address by Prof. ANpREws, F.R.S, 273 
Section C.—Opening Address by Prof. A. Geixig, F R.S. . 277 
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR :— 
The New Psychic Force. —J. P. FARWAKER ; G. FRASER < 
Height of Auroras.—T. W. BACKHOUSE eer 3:.-) 
Daylight Auroras. —D. WINSTANLEY 5 + 280 
Sparrows in Cages 5 . . ° - 280 

Books AND PAMPuLeTs RECEIVED . 
280 
