Miscellaneous Intelligence. 413 
fan partially open. In form it was not unlike the tail of a comet. Its 
upper extremity was less darkly shaded, and was then at an altitude of 
about 30 degrees. 
Presently we were surprised at its rapid extension in length, not how- 
ever directly towards the zenith, but obliquely to the horizon along the 
zodiac, very nearly, if not quite parallel to the ecliptic, leaving the stars 
Regulus, and Spica Virginis, a little south of it, and finally in the east 
crossing the milky way considerably south of Altair in the Eagle. In _ 
judge, exactly opposite to the base of the western segment, or ten o 
fifteen degrees south of east, thus forming a complete cloud-like arch 
or belt, well defined throughout its whole extent; and, h less 
ten degrees, and its southern edge at the moment of its completion, 
which was about ten o’clock, not far from twenty degrees south of the 
zenith, 
or five 
rees. It was about half as broad as the first; but advanced east- 
ward more rapidly, and in a few minutes made the whole circuit con- 
verging to the same point in the east, not however being met by an as- 
cending segment. ‘This was soon followed by a third. Then by an- 
other and another till seven were seen at once, each new one farther 
south, and narrower than the preceding, and leaving narrower spaces. 
Otherwise, in their general aspect similar, yet not so perfect and un- 
broken in their outlines. Moreover, although they all terminated in the 
same points mingling into one in the horizon, yet the last three or four 
did not seem to shoot forward as from a radiating point, as did the first 
three. These were rather formed in irregular segments like dotted 
o 
* The apparent radiation of these cloud-belts from the same point was in all prob- 
ability optical—that is, simply an apparent convergence in the distance of belts ac- 
tually parallel or nearly so—Eps. 
