860 Transactions. —Miscellaneous. 
Elsewhere the colour of the sun when setting has been almost white 
(F.A.R.R., ** Nature," 12th June), and occasionally the whole display has 
been, to use the language of one observer (Ellery, “‘ Nature," April), almost 
frightful. This observation was made by Mr. Ellery in January last in the 
morning from the summit of a peak 3,000 feet high, and subsequent to the 
date of that gentleman's remark that there was nothing astonishing about 
the sunsets except that above the yellow there came a purple eolour. The 
whole landscape on that occasion was crimson blood red. Sometimes we 
have had the second glow only, the strie and cirrus clouds having been either 
absent or invisible. I find to my surprise that the sunrises have been as glori- 
ous as the sunsets. No doubt every one here but myself is well aware of 
the fact from personal observation. It is astonishing, nevertheless, that so 
little has been said about the morning glows, when so much has been said 
about those in the evening. Is it the retiring modesty of early risers that 
accounts for this? The phenomena in the morning have, of course, been 
reversed as to the order of their appearance. But Dr. Taylor says they 
have been even more brilliant than those in the evening (Australasian, 22nd 
March). Sometimes there has been the pre-glow alone; at other times, 
when the strie have been visible and confused by clouds, there has been a 
display corresponding to the earlier one at night. The occurrence of two 
glows—one, the earlier, on the under surface of clouds; the other well 
behind them, somewhat later and apparently very high, in fact altogether 
above the region of clouds—may have escaped general observation ; but 
close observers are unanimous about it (Hazen, ** Am. J. Science ;’’ Matthieu 
Williams; F.A.R.B., ** Nature "), and I have myself distinctly and repeatedly 
seen it. Some correspondents of “ Nature" affirm, indeed, that a second 
after-glow has occasionally been observed. 
Now, in addition to the general phenomena just described, there have 
been localiy seen others of even more astonishing character. I refer to 
unusual colours of the sun and moon. It does not, of course, follow, 
because these happen at about the same time as the brilliant glows in the 
sky, that they therefore owe their origin to the same general cause ; but 
those best competent to form an opinion on the subject think they do. 
Blue and green suns were seen in India and Ceylon for five weeks after 
27th August (A. C. Ranyard, * Knowledge "), particularly about 9th and 
24th September (Langley, ** Sci. Am."), also in the West Indies at Para- 
mamibo, and on the Gold Coast, and on 24th September at London 
(F.A.R.R., * Nature"). A blue moon was seen in England early in Decem- 
ber (Taylor) aud during the same month it was at times of metallic-green 
eolour. At Soporo (Japan) both sun and moon for some days in the 
middle of October were blood red in colour. A green sun was also seen at 
