Natural Philosophy y — Meteorology. 381 
while travelling between Forres and Nairn, observed between 
seven and eight o’clock a very singular aurora borealis, of which 
he has favoured us with the following account ; Between se- 
ven and eight o’clock in the evening of Wednesday, my eye was 
instantly attracted by a brilliant arch of light above the northern 
horizon, extending, as nearly as I could guess, about 60°, and 
in breadth about 3° or 4°. Above this luminous arch was an- 
other twice the breadth, but very faint. After I had admired 
this phenomenon for some time, a sudden burst of light broke 
forth at the east end of the arch, and quickly assumed the form 
and motions of an ordinary aurora. This change proceeded 
with considerable rapidity from east to west, until the whole was 
involved in fantastic movements and corruscations. This ap- 
pearance continued for some time, and at last settled in the usual 
forms of an aurora borealis, the movements becoming scarcely 
perceptible. The masses of light gradually dispersed ; and al- 
ter the lapse of about three quarters of an hour from the tinje I 
first observed the luminous arch, the whole had assumed the 
forms of two contiguous and broad arches of faint light. How 
long this appearance continued, I do not know, my arrival at 
Nairn having put an end to my observations. I should have 
remarked, that the tops of the arches were always directly under 
the Pole star. The sky was clear ; and on my arrival at Inver- 
ness it was freezing. This was about eleven o’clock.” 
8. Meteoric Fire in the Marsh qf the Chapelle-auoc-Planches.'—^ 
In a marsh of this name in the department of the Aube, M. Doe, 
on the evening of the 26th May 1821, observed a quadrangu- 
lar pyramid of light, of a pale red colour, approaching to white. 
Upon going to the marshy ground from which it arose, he found 
that the greatest height of the pyramid was from ten to twelve 
feet, and that one could read by means of its light, which was 
not accompanied with any heat. At the end of half an hour, its 
altitude diminished, and it broke down into patches of light 
three or four feet broad, dispersed over the surface of the marshy 
ground. The light did not completely disappear till about 
three o’clock in the morning . — Journal de Physique^ Sept. 1821, 
tom. xciii. p. 236. 
