DISTKIBUTION OF EARTHQUAKES IN TIME. 265 



we can neither regard this imperfectly understood phe- 

 nomenon either as an effect or cause of earthquakes. 

 That earthquakes and the appearance of the aurora in 

 certain countries should not sometimes coincide is an 

 impossibility. 



Dr. Stukeley, who, it must be remembered, attempted 

 to correlate the phenomena of earthquakes and electricity, 

 when writing of the disturbances which shook England in 

 1849 and 1850, says that the weather had been unusually 

 warm, the aurora borealis frequent and of unusually 

 bright colours, whilst the whole year was remarkable for 

 its fire-balls, lightnings, and corruscations.^ 



The aurora was observed before the commencement of 

 the Maestricht earthquakes in 1751 ^^ whilst at the time 

 of the shock flashes of light like lightning were observed 

 in the sky. 



Glimmering lights were seen in the sky before the 

 New England earthquakes (Nov. 18, 1755), and again, 

 before the disturbances which occurred in the same 

 region in 1727, peculiar flashes of light were seen. 



Preceding the Sicilian earthquake of 1692 strange 

 lights were seen in the sky. Ignis fatui have also been 

 observed with earthquakes. At the time of auroral dis- 

 plays Bertelli has observed microseismical disturbances, 

 and M. S. di Rossi, who has made similar observations, 

 thinks that there is an intimate connection between the 

 aurora and earthquakes; the aurora either occurring in 

 a period of earthquakes, or else taking the place of earth- 

 quakes. 



1 Phil. Trans, vol. Ixviii. p. 221. 2 Gent. Mag. vol. xxvii. p. 508. 



