The results of the numerous observations of the author on the Aurora Borealis, which on several occasions were made under very favourable circumstances, had already been announced in a short paper, published in 1823 in the Edinburgh Philosophical Journal; and it was concluded from them that the Aurora Borealis has in all cases a determinate arrangement and figure, and follows an invariable order in its appearance and progress; that the pencils of rays or streamers, as they are called, generally make their first appearance in the north; and as they rise from the horizon, assume the form of an arch, extending from east to west, and having its vertex in the plane of the magnetic meridian, the arch itself being at right angles to that plane. While the arch itself is near the horizon, its breadth from north to south is considerable; and the streamers of which it is composed appear to be nearly at right angles to the general line of the arch, their directions converging to a point a few degrees to the south of the zenith. As the arch moves forwards towards the south, its lateral dimensions appear to contract, the intensity of its light increases, and the directions of the streamers, still tending to the same point in the heavens, approach more nearly to parallelism with that of the arch. When it has passed the zenith, and arrived at the above-mentioned point, a little to the south of the zenith, the arch is seen as a narrow belt, 3° or 4° only in breadth, and with well-defined edges. In its further progress southwards, it again enlarges in breadth, and exhibits, in a reverse order, the same succession of changes as before. Hence, the author concludes that the streamers have individually a position nearly vertical or parallel to the magnetic dip; that they form a thin fringe, stretching often to a great distance from east to west, at right angles to the magnetic meridian; and that the movement of the fringe from north to south takes place by the extinction of streamers at its northern side, and the formation of new ones contiguous to its southern side. From a variety of observations which are detailed in this paper, the author infers, in opposition to the opinion of Mr. Dalton, that the region occupied by this meteor is above, but contiguous to, that of the clouds, or at least to that in which aqueous vapour is condensed, so as afterwards to appear in the form of clouds. The height of this region he estimates as in general about 2000 feet above the surface; and he is of opinion, that while such is the height of the lower ends of the vertical streamers, their upper ends may have an elevation of 2000 or 3000 feet more.
New record of the viviparous lizard Zootoca vivipara (Jacquin, 1787) in Hungary
