Dec. 6, i<:><53j 



NA TURE 



133 



in which was the following passage : ' Have you seen any 

 unusual appearances in the sky lately ? Yox some time 

 past in this country an extraordinary red glow has been 

 seen in the sky just before sunrise and just after sunset. 

 It seems to have been noticed all over India and in Egypt 

 also, but I do not know if it has been seen in Europe. 

 The natives are full of superstitious fears on account of 

 it. No one, so far as I know, has been able to account 

 for it, but several theories, more or less absurd, have been 

 started, one trying to connect it with the eruption in Java, 

 another with the spots on the sun, and so on. I do not 

 know what it can be, but it is certainly very remarkable, 

 and 1 never saw anything like it before.' " 



.■\ correspondent of the Times sends the following ex- 

 tract from the Cold Coast Times ai September 14. The 

 phenomena alluded to were seen at Cape Coast Castle ; — 

 "Cn the 1st or 2nd of this month the sun was described 

 as being blue in the morning. It seems it rose as usual, 

 and that the clouds which passed over it, from their 

 greater rarity or density, gave it different apparent shades 

 of rose colour, pink, and so on. After the passage of the 

 clouds its appearance through the haze was white like 

 the moon. In fact, an Englishman is said to have taken 

 it for the moon." 



In Paris also, and elsewhere in France, the pheno- 

 menon has been very striking. 



k correspondent writing from Croydon to the Standard, 

 under date November 26, says :— " At half-past three this 

 afternoon the sky in the west quickly assumed a deep red 

 colour, which, after some minutes, spread over the sky to 

 a considerable distance, tinging it with a pale pink colour. 

 This, again, in a few minutes, disappeared, and the sky 

 a^sumed its normal condition." 



Another correspondent on the same date, from Derby, 

 states : — " This evenmg we have witnessed a most re- 

 markable sunset, the sky being lit up with a pale bluish- 

 yellow light, changing to orange and red." 



Again, a correspondent to the same paper writing on 

 November 28 from Skegness, Lincolnshire, says : — " Here, 

 in the fens of Lincolnshire, where gorgeous sunsets are 

 the rule, the phenomenon has been most remarkable, and 

 each evening since Sunday last the heavens have pre- 

 sented an appearance both interesting and awe inspiring. 

 On Monday evening last, when the sun set at 3.57, the 

 western heavens were all aglow until 6.30, and the rich, 

 lurid glare of the ' after-glow ' had all the appear.mce of 

 an immense illumination, the rays of which, starting from 

 the direction of the settmg sun as a centre, extended well 

 towards the zenith. The most remarkable thing wis the 

 fact that whilst the western sky was thus all aglow the 

 stars in the northern heavens were shining as brilliantly as 

 at midnight. The ' blood-red ' appearance has been re- 

 peated during the rest of this week. The effect was alto- 

 gether different from the '.Aurora Borealis,' there being 

 an utter absence of the peculiar scintillation common to 

 that phenomenon." 



From Eastbourne, according to a correspondent there, 

 " a considerable space above the hills where the sun had 

 disappeared was a clear sky with no tinge of red in it, 

 but a pale greenish-blue transparency, to describe which 

 I can find no preci-e words. Across this there floated 

 three or four opaline cloudlets, while a great mass of 

 violet-coloured vapour lay piled up in the south-west. 

 .Above the pale and clear transparency was a broad zone 

 of rose-colour, which seemed denser here and there, and 

 also appeared to shoot upwards in tongue-shaped undula- 

 tions. .-\s the evening advanced, and the true sunset, at 

 3 57) took place, the clear sky dirappeared, as if drawn 

 down behind the hills, which the rosy zone now touched, 

 and was gradually drawn down in its turn, but remained 

 unfaded to the last." 



Mr. Sydney Hooper, writing to the Standard from 

 Ealing, says : — ''In none of the corresponflence on the 

 subject of the remarkable sunsets we have had lately have 



I seen any reference to what strikes me as the most curious 

 fact m connection with them, and which in my experience 

 is quite unique. I have observed sunsets carefully for 

 the last thirty years, and I have invariably found that the 

 crimson glow is the last ; coming usually a considerable 

 time after the yellow glow has faded. The crimson light 

 is always followed by the cold gray which precedes the 

 night, as many must have observed when the rosy light 

 dies out from an .Alpine peak. For the last tew evenings, 

 however, notably on Wednesday night, there has been a 

 reversal of this rule. A yellow glow has first overspread 

 the sky, extending almost to the zenith. This has gra- 

 dually deepened to orange, then to crimson. The 

 crimson has then gathered in intensity towards the 

 horizon until it has become a deep, rich, horizontal bar, 

 hngering long after sunset. Then came the eflect which 

 I refer to as unique. After the crimson had died away, 

 the west was again lit up by a deep orange glow extend- 

 ing over half the sky, so intense in colour that the lamps 

 showed as white light against it. This second glow is to 

 me unaccountable, and indicates a very peculiar condition 

 of the atmosphere. Another fact, equally remarkable, 

 was that the whole effect was reproduced the following 

 (Thursday) morning, but the order of the tints was, of 

 course, reversed. .At a quarter to six an exact reproduc- 

 tion of the orange tint of the previous evening was seen 

 in the south-eastern sky. This was followed by the deep 

 crimson bar low down in the horizon. Then the crimson 

 gradually passed upwards, giving place finally to the 

 greenish yellow with which the phenomena commenced 

 in the evening." 



NOTES 



It is proposed to hold, during the year 1884, an International 

 Exhibition, w hich shall also illustrate certain branches of health 

 and education, and which will occupy the buildings at Souih Ken- 

 sington erected for the International Fisheries Exhibiiion. 

 The object of the Exhibition will be to illustrate, as vividly and 

 in as practical a manner as possible, food, dre»s, the dwelling, 

 the school, and the workshop, as affecting the condiiioi.s of 

 heahhful life, and also to himg into public notice the mo^t recent 

 appliances for elemeniary school leaching and instructi m in 

 applied science, art, and haiidicrafis. The influence ot modern 

 sanitary knowledge and intellectual progress upon the nelf.ire of 

 the people of all classes and all nations will thus be prac.ically 

 demonstrated, and an attempt v\ ill be made to display the most 

 valuable and recent advances which have been attained in ihese 

 important subjects. The Exhibition will be divided into two 

 main sections. Division I. Health, Division II. Education, and 

 will be further subdivided into six principal grou^ s. In the 

 first group it is intended specially to illustrate the food resources 

 of the world, and the best and most economical methods of 

 utilising them. For the sake of comparison, not only will 

 specimens of food from all countries be exhibited, but the 

 various methods of preparing, cooking, and serving food will be 

 practically shown. The numerous proce.-ses of manufacture 

 connected with the preparation of articles of food and drink v. ill 

 thus be exemplified ; and, so far as the perishable nature of the 

 articles will admit, full illustrations will, be given of the vai i jus 

 descriptions of foods themselves. In the second group, dress, 

 chiefly in its relation to health, will be displayed. lUustiationS 

 of the clothing of the principal peoples of the world may be 

 expected ; and a part of this Exhibition, whicb, it is anticipated, 

 will be held in the galleries of the Royal Albert Hall, will be 

 devoted to the histjry of co--tuii,e. In the third, fourth, and 

 fifth groups will be comprised all that pertains to the he.vithful 

 construction and fitting of the dwelling, the school, and the 

 workshop ; not only as respects the needful arrangemeius for 



