186 
Mr. Spence described a fine display of the Aurora Borea- 
lis which he had observed on the 15th instant from lOh. 
30m. to about lOh. 45m. p.m. The columns and masses of 
light extended over the whole of the northern heavens, and 
far to the south of west. 
Mr. Baxendell observed the display during a partial 
clearing of the clouds from llh. 50m. to 12h. 7m. The 
frequent and rapid flashings upwards of sheets of light from 
the auroral segment which rested on the northern horizon 
constituted at that time the most striking feature of the 
phenomenon. About llh. 57m. a broad bright arch of light 
formed across the heavens from about E.N.E. to W.S.W., 
passing a little to the north of the zenith ; it immediately 
began to move in a southerly direction, and at 12h. 7m., 
when a sudden formation of clouds put an end to the obser- 
vations, it had just passed over the star Arcturus. The 
colour of the auroral light on this occasion was, for the most 
part, a clear pale white, but one broad patch in the N.E. 
occasionally exhibited a ruddy hue. 
Dr. Crompton wished to direct the attention of the 
members and of those skilled observers, especially medical 
men, scattered through the world, in correspondence with 
this Society, to a subject of considerable interest to 
humanity, namely, the frequent deformities in the legs of 
young children. He believed that he had made observa- 
tions which would throw an entirely new light on these 
affections. Before proceeding to point out what they were, 
he observed that the treatment of these deformities was a 
branch of the profession with which he had nothing to do— - 
that as far as he remembered he had never received a fee 
for such cases; in fact, that the deformities were allowed 
first to take place (instead of being stopped by the simple 
means to be pointed out), and then, if a medical was 
consulted at all, it was simply to hand over the case to 
