IV.— MISCELLANEOUS. 



Art. XLVIII. — On the recent Sun-glows and the Theories that have been 

 advanced to account for them. By John Meeson, B.A. 

 [Bead before the Nelson Philosophical Society, 1st September, 1884.] 

 Seldom 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 

 cudgelled 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 sua 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 resume of the most salient facts, 

 together with & precis of very much that has been written on the subject in 

 such journals as " Nature," " Knowledge," Hardwick's Science Gossip," 



