Observations upon Auroral and Optical Phenomena. 225 



graduate of Yale College, and at Meriden by Mr. William Allen, an 

 intelligent young man, and a member of my own engineer corps on 

 the Hartford and New Haven Rail Road. I adduce these different 

 observations, not to show the ey ict height of the object at any spe- 

 cific moment, (that height may ideed bave been continually chang- 

 ing,) but in support of the m?" idea that it was elevated throughout 

 far above the region of the ordinary clouds. With this purpose in 

 view, I give in order the different observations, beginning with those 

 of Prof. Olmsted. 



By Prof. Olmsted the phenomenon was not seen until 9A. 55m. 

 P. M. At that time the southern margin of the bow was seen rest- 

 ing upon the southern stars of the Northern Crown, while its northern 

 margin lay along the tail of the Great Bear. It advanced southward 

 until its south edge reached Arcturus, where it became stationary, 

 and vanished at lOh. 10m. 



Mr. Wm. Allen, being at Meriden, the half way point between 

 New Haven and Hartford, saw the arch at its first formation. He 

 was then riding slowly west, and witnessed the entire phenomena. 

 Very soon after the formation of the bow the star Benetnasch, in the 

 tail of the Great Bear, was in its southern margin j while Venus in 

 the west was shining through it — and he thinks near its middle. The 

 bow moved slowly south, and just before its disappearance separated 

 into two parts, — one east and the other west of Arcturus, which then 

 lay near the central line of the bow, while the star Mu Leonis was 

 near its south edge. By the time he had ridden two miles the arch 

 disappeared. This disappearance occurred a little after ten o'clock. 



Mr. P. W. Ellsworth describes the arch as having begun to de- 

 velope itself rapidly at half past nine, and soon afterwards passing 

 from the east a little north of Corona, and extending as far as Cas- 

 tor ; at 9A. 40m. the arch had advanced southward, passing through 

 the Crown and south of Pollux, and at this period appeared most 

 beautiful. In the east it terminated in an acute angle before reaching 

 the horizon, resembling a column of white smoke. The arch had a 

 milky appearance ; it occasionally broke into waves, which advanced 

 from the east with a rapid, regular motion, passing quite across to 

 the west. These waves sometimes assumed a direction resembling 

 the radii of a circle, but extended only a short distance from the 

 arch itself. At 9A. 55m. the center of the luminous zone had reach- 

 ed Arcturus and the Sickle, and passing half across the Sickle sud- 

 denly disappeared at lOA. 5m. P. M. The light in the north as- 



VoL. XXXII.— No. 2. 29 



