290 Tlic Aurora Burcalis or Norlhern Lights. 



Science, A-'ol. xvr, No l,)that the whole quantity of rain which 

 fell, within that time, was 132,6 inches ; ami from my obser- 

 vations made in Vermont, for the last three years, the quan- 

 tity of water, uhich has fallen is 100.9 inches — difference, 

 57.3 inches. I believe, however, so great a difference would 

 not be found by a long series of observations, )nade at both 

 places, for the seasons have been unusually humid in Ver- 

 mont, during the three years above mentioned. 



From thirty years'" observation, I am confident that light- 

 ning, thunder, and hail, in summer, are fiir less severe in the 

 mountainous region of Vermont, than in level champaigne dis- 

 tricts, situated in the same degrees of latitude. The eleva- 

 ted peaks, probably, serve as conductors, which convey the 

 electricity from the clouds without shocks; and almost uni- 

 versally, when the lightning strikes the earth, it occurs in 

 vallies, or on the sides of mountains, far below their highest 

 points. 



In conclusion, I would remark, that notwithstanding the 

 great quantity of rain, which fell during the last summer, in 

 Vermont, some of our crops were abundant. The grass and 

 hay crop, perhaps were never better. Indian corn, potatoes 

 and some garden vegetables were light. Spring wheat, rye 

 and oats suffered severely by blight. 

 Fayetteville, Vt. May 1, 1829. 



Art. XIV. — Specidations with respect to the cause of the 

 Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights. 



Various have been the attempts to account for this phe- 

 nomenon ; as yet no satisfactory theory has been offered to 

 the public, most of the essays on the subject, being destitute 

 of a suflficient number of facts on which to erect any lasting 

 hypothesis. 



If the positions herein taken as 'true, are, as they are be- 

 lieved to be, founded on admitted facts, some progress will, 

 perhaps, have been made in explanation of a subject hitherto 

 so obscure. The first question that presents itself is, what 

 is the immediate cause of the Aurora Borealis? 



It seems to have been generally conceded, that electricity 

 in some form, is the immediate cause of this phenomenon. 

 The extreme rapidity with which the Aurora climbs and over- 

 spreads the heavens, assimilates it in this appearance, to no 

 other substance know-n to us but electricity. 



