Makch 29, 1918] 



SCIENCE 



315 



against the belief, formerly held by some, that 

 this phenomenon is due solely to local condi- 

 tions. 



Here the broad central arc formed low in the 

 northern sky, its highest point being about 20° 

 above the horizon and identical in direction 

 with our magnetic north. It first appeared 

 about 8 P.M. and was then most pronounced 

 (though without definite form) in the north- 

 west. In color the light consisted chiefly of 

 white, yellowish green, and dull red but was at 

 no time very bright, though its varied radial 

 Streamers attracted much attention. Its max- 

 imum was reached about 10 p.m., when it ad- 

 vanced beyond the zenith to a point about 60° 

 above the southern horizon and covered the 

 major portion of the sky. 



John E. Smith 



Iowa State College, 

 Ames, Iowa, 

 March 18, 1918 



On the evening of March 7 there occurred 

 at La Crosse, Wisconsin, the finest display of 

 northern lights that the writer has ever seen 

 here. There seems to be no record or re- 

 membrance of any equal display. The lights 

 were observed more or less from 7 :30 till 12 

 P.M. The best were seen from 9:4:5 to 10:45 

 P.M. During this time shafts of light start- 

 ing from the horizon would shoot to 

 the zenith. These shafts would be in the 

 north, northeast, or northwest. After these 

 started, others would follow them till three 

 fourths of the heavens were covered with these 

 shafts of light, for they extended south of 

 west and south of east. In the parts of the 

 heavens farthest south the shafts of light were 

 broken just below the zenith but in the other 

 parts of the heavens the shafts were con- 

 tinuous from the horizon to the zenith. The 

 shafts did not flicker or flash as observed at 

 other times but they remained stationary for 

 a period and then died out. 



The most remarkable thing was the colors 

 exhibited. After the shafts had been estab- 

 lished faint tinges of red appeared which be- 

 came brighter till the heavens from the north- 

 west to the northeast, and for three fourths 

 of the way from the horizon to the zenith 



were covered with a bright crimson red glow. 

 Tlie scene was magnificent and never to be 

 forgotten. 



The above light forms would stay for some 

 minutes and then they would all die away and 

 leave only a greenish hue in the north. In a 

 few minutes more all would be repeated again. 

 This repetition was noted several times in 

 succession till about 10:45 it all faded into 

 the greenish hue which lasted an hour. 



Other colors were observed as yellows and 

 purples. These were seen as faint light 

 toward the zenith but the prominent color 

 was the red which with the definitely formed 

 shafts gave a special character to these north- 

 ern lights which will be easily remembered by 

 the observers. G. H. Bretnall 



State Normal School, 

 La Crosse, Wis. 



an old record of albino turkey 

 buzzards 



The appearance in Science at intervals 

 during the past two or three years of accounts 

 by various observers of albino birds has inter- 

 ested the present vrriter very much, and all 

 the more because he has never been so fortu- 

 nate as to see such a bird. Recently while 

 reading the voyages of Captain William Dam- 

 pier, his attention was forcibly called to the 

 account by this keen-eyed explorer which is 

 given herewith in the belief that it may prove 

 of interest and value to some of the readers 

 of Science. 



Carrion crows are blackish Fowles, about the 

 Bigness of Ravens; they have bald Heads and red- 

 dish bald necks like Turkeys. . . . These live 

 wholly on Flesh (and are therefore called Carrion 

 Crows). . . . Some of the Carrion Crows are all 

 over white, but their Feathers look as if they were 

 sullied: they have bald Heads and Necks like the 

 rest ; they are of the same Bigness and Make ; with- 

 out any Difference but in Color; and we never see 

 above one or two of these white ones at a time; 

 and 'tis seldom also that we see a great Number 

 of the black ones, but that we see one white one 

 amongst them. The Logwood-Cutters [of 0am- 

 peachy] call the white ones King-Carrion Crows. 



This account is found on page 168 of Vol- 

 ume II. of the 1729 edition of Dampier's 

 " Voyages " as edited by John Masefield and 



