OF THE AURORA BOREALIS ON THE MAGNETIC NEEDLE. 
Ill 
is departed from, the paths can generally be referred to the planes of the 
fringes of the Aurora, and, within these, to lines at right angles to the stream- 
ers. I have even seen a succession of three or four or more falling stars, at 
momentary intervals, whose paths were all wholly within the plane of a fringe, 
or such a narrow zone as an elevated fringe would occupy ; and again, after 
a considerable interval, have seen a similar succession in a similar zone, 
further S., as if the planes in which they are active moved southward like the 
fringes of the Aurora. But the circumstance which perhaps most convincingly 
connects them with the Aurora, is their occurring in great numbers on those 
evenings when it is visible, and their rareness at any other time, a fair example 
of both which cases is to be found in the foregoing journal. 
It will be perceived from this and my former communications, that the Au- 
rora precedes and accompanies W. and S. W. gales, which are generally the 
hardest we experience. In the absence of more direct observation, I may be 
permitted at present, although it is not strictly legitimate, to refer to the popu- 
lar belief, that the falling stars also are indicatory of hard gales. 
I think there is now no doubt that the horizontal intensity is affected by the 
Aurora borealis, as the indications are uniformly on one side, and longer prac- 
tice has given me more confidence in the correctness with which I am enabled 
to measure the times. 
me to examine the direction of those I have seen since. They are now very numerous, and, without 
any exception, their paths have been directed from a point near the meridian, within the limit of from 
10° to 20° south of the zenith. These meteors, too, have been most frequent on those evenings when 
the Aurora borealis appeared, with the exception of the evening of the 16 th October, when there was 
no Aurora, but a great number of falling stars. The state of the weather and wind that night was, 
however, such as led me to anticipate and make preparation for a display of the former. The paths 
of those falling stars I have seen near the zenith have been all short in comparison with those seen on 
the same night lower down. 
These observations of mine have been too few, and limited to too short a period of time, to give con- 
fidence in the inferences which are to be deduced from them ; but being now put into your possession, 
they will either soon be confirmed or their partial character shown : but it may surely be worthy of 
inquiry, whether the falling stars of southern latitudes are the equivalents of our Aurora borealis. 
