IV.—MISCELLANEOUS. 
Arr. XLVIII.—On the recent Sun-glows and the Theories that have been 
| advanced to account for them. By Jonn Merson, B.A 
[Read before the Nelson Philosophical Society, 1st September, 1884.] 
SELDow in modern times has a natural manifestation in the physical world 
attracted such universal attention or excited so much admiration and 
wonder as the recent so-called sun-glows. The uneducated have everywhere 
gazed at them in mute astonishment; the learned, on all sides, have 
eudgelled their brains to assign for them a plausible and sufficient cause. 
The interest has not been merely local, for the phenomena have appeared, 
as far as we know, everywhere, and to appear was to excite curiosity. 
Scientific magazines and the ordinary public journals, during a period of 
more than six months, have devoted long articles to the subject; and even 
now, when the display is almost or quite over, public interest therein still 
finds frequent expression, and savants and scientific societies in various 
parts of the world are still engaged in researches which have for their 
object the elucidation of that which has excited the astonishment of man- 
kind. The selection of such a subject for our consideration this evening 
can scarcely be thought inappropriate, the wonder rather should be that it 
has not been made before. 
It will be well to state at the commencement what I propose to do to- 
night and what I do not propose to do; and, to begin with the latter, I do 
not presume to offer any original theory of my own. There are many 
branches of science connected with the subject of which my own knowledge 
is scanty and superficial. Others have made of these branches a life-long 
study. Credendum est cuique in sud arte. Yet I hope to do something this 
evening which I would fain think will prove to some of us at least interest- 
ing and instructive. I have carefully examined such scientific magazines 
and public journals as are within my reach and have appeared during the 
past twelve months, with the view of gathering together the various facts 
and theories bearing on my subject. I have arranged these methodically 
under their different heads, and have pointed out, where I could, what 
appeared to me weak and fallacious arguments, what needed fuller testimony 
or consideration, and what seemed to satisfy the requirements of common 
sense and probability. The outcome is a réswmé of the most salient facts, 
together with a précis of very much that has been written on the subject in 
such journals as “ Nature," * Knowledge,” Hardwick's Science Gossip," 
