36 Staff-Comraander E. W. Creak on the Magnetical [May 8, 



greatest decrease in tlie declination: and at 6.50 p.m. it was 12' to 

 the eastward of tlie normal. 



Finally, it may be stated that the comparison of the disturbances 

 at Kew and the two winter quarters observatories of the Arctic Expe- 

 dition, 1875—76, appear to confirm Gauss's conclusion, that " the 

 synchronous disturbances of the same element not only differ widely 

 in amount, but occasionally appear to be even reversed, in direction." 



Auroras. 



The appearances of auroras and the synchronous movements of the 

 declinometer magnet, were subjects of special observation during the 

 stay of the " Alert " and " Discovery " at their winter quarters. On 

 all occasions they were observed to be faint, with none of those 

 brilliant manifestations which are described by our own officers as 

 seen at Point Barrow,* and by the Anstro-Hungarian Expedition in 

 Franz Josef Land,f where the magnetical instruments were so sensibly 

 disturbed. 



These phenomena were not observed either in the " Alert ; ' or 

 " Discovery," especially no connexion between magnetical disturbances 

 and the appearances of auroras could be traced. 



This is quite in accordance with the remarks of previous observers 

 within the region comprehended between the meridians of 60 = and 

 90° W., and north of the parallel of 73° N* For examples, see the 

 remarks of Captain Parry and Lieutenant Foster in the discussion of 

 their magnetical observations at Port Bowen, in the " Phil. Trans./' 

 1826, Part IY, page 76. Also Mr. A. Schott's discussion of Dr. Kane's 

 observations at Van Rensselaer Harbour, " Smithsonian Contributions," 

 vol. x, 1858. 



The following description of the aurora observed on 21st November, 

 1875, is given by Commander Markham and Lieutenant Giffard in 

 their abstract of observations at Floeberg Beach : — 



"Between 10 and 11 p.m. bright broad streamers of the aurora 

 appeared 10° or 15° above the north horizon, stretching through the 

 zenith, and terminating in an irregular curve about 25° above the 

 south horizon, bearing S.S.W. During the aurora's greatest brilliancy 

 the magnet was observed during five minutes to be undisturbed." 



The aurora was visible on 49 days between the 22nd October, 1875, 

 and the 27th February, 1876. 



The observations from which the foregoing magnetical results have 

 been obtained were made by Commander (now Captain) A. H. Mark- 

 ham and Lieutenant Gr. A. Giffard, of the " Alert," Lieutenants R. 

 H. Archer and R. B. Fulford, of the " Discovery." 



The results in greater detail will be found in a Parliamentary paper 



* See "Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc.," 1857, page 498. 



f See "Austrian Arctic Yoyage," 1872-74, pages 327-32S. 



