108 Proceedings. 



waves was owing to the fluctuation of light in set places — 

 more or less a series of broad bands across the direction of 

 motion of the waves. These broad bands of misty 

 white, fluctuating light, with more or less well defined 

 dark between, preserved a set shape. The light ap- 

 parently ended in a very bright arc like a long 

 bright cloud running in an irregular line east and west 

 through the zenith. The line had a decided wriggle in it 

 near the zenith, and on the north was a dark space with 

 another bright band with a corresponding wriggle, so as to 

 create the appearance of a dark river between two bright 

 banks. This shape lasted some time, disappearing and 

 reappearing with the light. Watching this phenomenon, 

 and looking towards the zenith, it became clear that the 

 waves of light were moving nearly vertically, a little 

 towards the south, and that they only took effect over a 

 portion of the sky. Thus the motion seemed to diminish 

 as it neared the zenith, and in the bright arc, exactly as 

 though there was an illuminated vertical hail storm. I 

 watched it about half-an-hour, when the zenith effects 

 seemed to me to be diminishing." 



Mr. GWYTHER gave an account of the appearance of 

 the phenomenon at Buttermere, where it presented a some- 

 what different aspect Mr. BROTHERS and Professor 

 SCHUSTER also took part in the discussion. 



Mr. Henry Wilde, F.R.S., read a paper "On the 

 Influence of the Configuration and Direction of Coast Lines 

 upon the Rate and Range of the Secular Magnetic 

 Declination." 



