48 
THE CANADIAN NATURALIST. 
could not find that it was really darker than the other parts 
of the clear sky. The upper edge of the arch was not defined, 
shooting out rays of light towards the zenith : one or two 
points in the arch were very brilliant, which were varying 
in their position. Over head, and towards the south, east, 
and west, flashings of light were darting from side to side : 
sometimes the sky was dark, then instantly lighted up with 
these fitful flashes, vanishing and changing as rapidly; some- 
times, a kind of crown would form around a point south of 
the zenith, consisting of short converging pencils. At a 
quarter before nine, I looked at it again : the arch was as be- 
fore, but slightly changed in form ; the zenith, too, much the 
same. About nine, the upper and southern sky was filled 
with clouds or undefined patches of light nearly stationary ; 
the eastern part, near the top, being deep crimson, which 
speedily spread over the upper part of the northern sky ; a 
series of long converging pencils was now arranged around 
a blank space about 15° south of the zenith, the northern 
and eastern rays blood-red, the southern and western pale 
yellow ; the redness would flash about as did the white light 
before, still not breaking the general form of the corona. In 
a few minutes all the red hue had vanished, leaving the 
upper sky nearly unoccupied. The arch also was now totally 
gone, and in its place there were only irregular patches of 
yellow light, of varying radiance. At a quarter past nine, 
the upper sky was again filled with pale flashes ; in the 
north were perpendicular pillars of light comparatively sta- 
tionary. At half past nine, no material change : at ten, all 
had assumed a very ordinary appearance, merely large clouds 
of pale light were visible ; after which I took no farther 
notice of it. I listened, as on other occasions, with great 
attention, but could not hear the slightest sound proceeding 
from the meteor. The southern sky, near the horizon, was 
unoccupied during the whole of the continuance of the Au- 
rora. 
