72 Canadian Record of Science. 



from a point somewhere S.W. — but I was facing north, 

 and only caught a glimpse of them over my shoulder 

 Three were into the west (low) and one high N.E. These 

 shooting stars had no effect whatever on the aurora, 

 unless a red and green tinge for a short time afterwards 

 could have been connected with their debris. The pre- 

 vailing color of the auroral light was the common pale 

 greenish yellow, but iridescent colors were at one time 

 seen low west, and also high in the east. By one o'clock 

 (a.m. 5th) the display had subsided to a considerable 

 extent, and the weather was then clear and cold. 



The cloud effects at the earlier period were of quite an 

 exceptional combination, in my experience. Twice before, 

 I have seen displays above the clouds, but these happened 

 to be almost overhead. In this case, there was a section 

 view, as it were, and the upper clouds for a time had 

 enough body to show reflected light. The active light 

 seemed confined to an air space lying between the two 

 layers of cloud. This' tended to confirm me in an 

 opinion, formed from other scattered observations— 

 namely, that while the arches may be higher, yet the 

 active field of light seems to lie in a stratum of air, itself 

 lying between two other air-currents blowing in different 

 directions; and that the phenomenon is possibly largely 

 due to thermal electricity. 



2nd Phase. 



By two o'clock a.m. (morning of May 5th) the arch had 

 reformed and indications were for a renewal of the display' 

 I sallied forth again, to the north end of Mount Royal, to 

 get a free field of view, clear of the city lights. As the 

 arch of the new aurora rose from the north, southward, it 

 then exhibited a benel inwards to the northern horizon at 

 both ends. When the arch reached a point almost over- 

 head, the zone of light, which was very broad, was seen to 

 lie broken into long bands or streaks lying W. to E. but 

 not in continuous belts, but rather mottled, — mottleel 



