74 Canadian Record of Science. 



realize that probably every ordinary Aurora Borealis has a 

 proper motion of this kind, but perhaps not often so 

 rapid as it happened to be this time, also the legs or span 

 of the arches is usually more extended, and certainly the 

 primary phase of quiescence is very seldom so prolonged 

 as on the occasion of this display. If for nothing else, 

 the phenomena on this night were notable, and I hope 

 properly observed here and elsewhere. The fifth arch to 

 pass (at 2.50 or 2.55 a.m.) was particularly brilliant and 

 much larger than any except, perhaps, the first at 2 o'clock. 

 It was this fifth arch that showed the distinct divisions 

 of the streaked movement overhead, as already mentioned, 

 — first mottled streaks of light lying W. and E. ; second, 

 a fluctuating ripple of light running E. and W., slowly to 

 and fro and comparatively regular in progress, succeeded 

 by the third stage of a waving passage of light from patch 

 to patch always fuming up to the zenith or leaping 

 jST. to S. By 3 o'clock the first streaks of dawn were red- 

 dening in the. east. The aurora was then commencing 

 the active fuming of its last stage, a process of dispersion 

 which continued until quite overpowered by the morning 

 light. 



Three more meteors radiating from a constellation in 

 the S. W. were seen — and again for a short time iri- 

 descent colors followed low on the N. W. horizon, but I 

 do not think the two phenomena were connected although 

 the coincidence was noted. There was a thick hoar frost 

 on exposed places, which is an unusual thing with an 

 aurora here. At the same time, there was a good deal of 

 swampy water still lying about (from rain and the spring 

 melting) which may account for it. Several small dark 

 clouds drifted with, but lower than the arches. They 

 were rather low on the horizon, passing from W. to E. 

 The light of the aurora was bright enough for me to see 

 the time by my watch, but not enough to write notes, or 

 sketch by. The stars were not especially bright, nor 



