in an inverted pyramid, the shaft opening outwards, like the so-called water-drawing of the sun. This depends probably only on the size of the appearance, or the length of the luminous pillar. If we think of it only as an ether-disk of small diameter adjoined annularly to the sun's equator, then we must necessarily see it in profile, as a pointed cone. If, however, we conceive of this disk as very widely extended, reaching almost to ourselves, then must it appear to us as an inverted cone. We then stand near to

Biot, who pays special attention to the to witness this pointed pyramid. I never zodiacal light, is in some degree opposed have seen the zodiacal light otherwise than to those who, like Ideler and Ritter, attach particular weight to the aurora borealis. Whilst the latter rise with the aurora from the earth, the former descends with the zodiacal light from the sun. Although Biot maintains the cosmic hopothesis, and explains the fire-meteors as a meteoric cloud full of little cometary and planetary bodies, which revolve round the sun, yet he gives to the earth a certain influence over these bodies, since he assumes, that the force with which the earth strikes that cloud, when they meet, causes many of these lit-it, as to an avenue, and the end next to us tle bodies to be violently separated from it, which then fall down to us. (Poggendorf's Annals, Bd. 59.)

We here firmly hold to the relation between the northern and zodiacal lights and the meteors. If it be the most difficult point of the inquiry, yet it is probably also the most important. The northern light streams forth from the pole of the earth, the zodiacal from the equator of the sun. Do they perhaps both extend out so far that they may meet?

seems to us wider than that which is lost in the perspective distance.

However great the difference between this luminous appearance connected with the sun's equator and that with the pole of the earth, yet is there much that is similar between the zodiacal and northern light. Both are ruddy glows on our horizon, of about the same intensity-they appear to consist of the same fine material, or to cast the same reflexions, whether the light come from the sun or from the luminous The northern light certainly throws out pole of the earth. They both seem to prove its beams to a very great distance. Han- the existence of an ether, of a thin primisteen believes that it shines only beyond tive matter diffused amidst the heavenly the circumference of our atmosphere. The bodies. Were this so, then this ether fiery pillars, which it erects from the pole would be considered a leader of the physto our zenith, and the auroral crowns which ical effects interposed between the sun it forms, certainly rise very high. Above and us, and as well the northern as the all, we must not attach too little moment to the radius, within which the globe exerts physical effects (not merely the mechanical of gravitation). A body of more than 1700 miles diameter has the power to extend its influence proportionately by means of its exhalations and magnetic currents, or even to attract to itself, within a wide circumference, the fine particles it meets in its path, and, in its forward movement, to magnetize, electrify, and galvanize them, i. e., to call out, in its light, explosions and even organic developments, though they be but of the lowest order.

The zodiacal light is of a far more mysterious nature, and much less accurately observed than the northern. It is known, however, that it always rises in a red pillar from the sun's equator, and is seen in the morning, preceding the sun, in the evening, following it. This pillar assumes a pyramidal form, it is said, and consists of ether or of some fine gaseous matter or other, which the sun carries along with it in its revolution around its axis in the plain of its equator. I must, however, confess that it has never been my good fortune

zodiacal light would be, in a greater or less extent, the visible signs of such a far-reaching efficacy. Between these two there occur other phenomena of light, which are neither northern nor zodiacal lights, but similar to both, and have sometimes appeared precisely on the critical meteoric days. Of this sort was that remarkable redness which, on the 29th of July and 7th of Aug. 1566, dyed the sun and moon with purple ; and those rainless lightnings which, on the 29th of July and 9th of Aug. 1694, filled the entire horizon. So also those mysterious morning and evening-glows which, in a very unusual manner, preceded the rising of the sun for more than an hour, and succeed, ed his setting for the same length of time.

Is it perhaps possible that the beams of the northern and of the zodiacal light are really a medium through which the primary and subordinate heavenly bodies, sun and planet, act on each other physically? The zodiacal light may be well denominated the heliocomet, as the polar light forms the geocomet. In the comets the shining is constant, which in the zodiacal and northern light is transitory.

Just as if, now, all these proper and improper comets should have brought forth again smaller ones of their kind, the firemeteors have been considered as really of a cometic nature, although only very insignificant heavenly bodies. It is a wonder that there has not been connected with this the mythical idea of children from the mar-nals (Bd. 59, p. 88) we find mention of many riage of the sun and planet.

It lies, in the nature of the case, that the

not always and merely to be looked upon | heavens fourteen months in succession, and as optical illusions and reflections of parti- showed no parallax, and therefore presumacles of dust found in the telescope, as Göbel bly existed, at an immense distance from in Poggendorf's Annals (Bd. 14) assumes. us beyond the solar system. There is, however, one observation more weighty than all these, which has hitherto advocates of the cosmic hypothesis must lain concealed in the Breslau Collections. seek to approach nearer to a tracing out of It is there reported that, for three days those ambiguous bodies, which have been from the 11th to the 13th of November, observed partly as obscurations of the sun, 1725, "just at mid-day remarkable macula" partly as extraordinary comets. Especially were seen on the sun, which remained no is there need to recommend observations of longer than the time named. The remarks the sun and of its spots on the critical days are not of meteors. But the sun-spots just and a careful examination of the old desigon these critical November days must be nations of comets, the ancient meteorologregarded as an offset for the meteors. Their ical tables, and particularly of the ancient connection is, at least after so numerous Chronicles, in which there is contained so witnesses for the meteorological impor- much that is important, but which has hithtance of those November-days, undeniable. erto received so little attention, and out of The occurrence of unusual sun-spots at this which there is yet to be deduced much richperiod is of especial weight, because it ness of facts, confirmation of the critical seems to prove that the falling stars, which days, etc. Only consider all that the induswe see at night, even in the most favorable trious Chladni has collected, exclusively in cases, only as scattered and quickly-vanish- respect to meteoric stones. A similar coling lights, are interchanged with compact lection of facts, by means of which falling bodies, which by day are able to obscure the stars, abnormal comets, northern and zodi sun. Are the two phenomena the same? acal lights, and other similar luminous pheAre they perhaps falling stars when in the nomena, as well as obscurations of the sun, aphelion and perigee, opaque bodies when as they have been witnessed for many cenin the perihelion and apogee? Does this turies past, should be brought under review, phenomenon appear to us in one year near is yet a desideratum in science. at hand, in another afar off? or are they two distinct phenomena ?

Perhaps by further observations we shall arrive at the result, that with so very differPerhaps we may also reckon among these ent phenomena a far more complex causamysterious bodies some so-called comets of lity must also be adopted, than has hitherto earlier times, which were strikingly differ- been sought for. When, in order to carry ent from the ordinary comets. In Lubi- out an exclusive hypothesis, we draw from niecii, Hist. Comet., under the year 1107, certain inexplicable facts, which cannot yet there is an account of a dark comet, of by any possibility be compassed, we shall which only the tail was luminous; and un- find ourselves on a path, which leads perder 1200 a round tailless comet is mention-haps aside from the truth. Leave the sun ed, from which there fell sulphurous stones out of the game, and we fail; give too little offensive to the smell. The comet observ-weight to the efficacy of the earth, and we ed by Phranza in 1450 passed between us fail again. May not then very different efand the moon, and covered the moon with its shadow. A comet is said to have done the same in 1540, unless indeed the latter has been wholly confounded with the former. Recent astronomers are accustomed to take no more notice of this problematical case. But if astronomy lets it go, cannot meteorology perhaps take it up? The celebrated new star, which shone out suddenly in the brow of Cassiopeia in 1572, and indeed precisely on the critical November-days-for Tycho Brache discovered it on the 11th of November-and which also betrayed something meteor-like in its wondrous play of colors, for it was first pure white, then yellow, blue, red, and lastly green, cannot however be enumerated here, because it kept the same place in the

fects proceed from the conflict of the two with the ether diffused between them? Effects, which might, on the one hand, correspond more with the supra-mundane, on the other more with the atmospheric hypothesis?

Clusters of planets move in the plain of the sun's equator, an evidence of the immense, overpowering influence of the sun's centrifugal force, as it revolves on its axis, over the whole space, in which the planets revolve. Unless now, all the primitive matter originally present in this space, or which is perhaps perpetually generated anew within it or supplied from without, became concentrated and absorbed in the sun, the planets and comets; if some of it is yet present, sweeping freely like a vapor,

above and beneath the planetary orbits, then will it probably, at least in part and by degrees, in the revolution of these orbs, be drawn along with them; and could we see it, this vapor revolving with them would correspond with the zodiacal light. It would also be apprehensible, that it might, at least to some extent, run together and form new planetary or cometary bodies, which would then revolve round the sun; and could we see them, they would either obscure the sun by day, or shine by night. In this way might the sun stand related to the meteors, of which we speak.

may be formed in certain regions above

A portion of space, whose heterogeneous forms vary from the magnitude of a body obscuring the sun to the microscopic diminutiveness of the protococcus in the red snow, allows not itself to be conquered by an hypothesis. We must study it with patient and toilsome industry.

and according to the degree of external force, on which they strike, become variously modified by physical and chemical processes. Between fireballs and falling stars there exists a difference not yet explained. Even so between the meteoric masses which fall to the earth. They are metal or stone, of two principal species; they are jelly, paste or dust. And this dust swarms with microscopic organisms. We are far yet from knowing the course of nature so exactly, as to be able to determine the origin of these organisms. Through Ehrenberg's immortal discoveries with the But the earth has, on a small scale, just microscope, the geography of organism has the same centrifugal motion as the sun. It been widely extended. We e are almost also draws into the plain of its equator ready to believe in a law of nature, accordevery thing it meets on its way, that is ing to which the glorious extension of the weaker than itself. Its atmosphere comes species is in inverse proportion to the size in contact with the ether, through which it of the individual. If whole mountains conpasses. Resistances, reactions may take sist of only shales of ante-mundane infusoplace between the two, or comminglings. ria, if every drop of water contains thouThe thinner and weaker the ether, the less sands of living creatures, then the idea is, severe will the conflict be; there will per-perhaps, not too far-fetched, that organisms haps only be flashes emitted. The more concentrated the force which meets the us. earth, the more severe will the conflict be, and explosions will occur. Who shall affirm whence always comes the material requisite for the processes themselves and their precipitation? Whether only out of the ether, which the earth catches up on its way? Whether only from the evaporations of the earth itself? or whether from both together-now principally from these, then from that? If, however, not merely ether, but also solid bodies, in any way whatever formed out of it, like small planets or comets, come in the way of the earth, they also, inasmuch as their gravity is much less, must be forcibly drawn by the centrifugal motion of the earth, into the di-path lie either between that of Mercury and rection of its equator. And hence it seems to be, that the plentiful showers of falling stars, which have been witnessed in the northern hemisphere, take their course towards the south. But it does not follow as a necessary consequence, that these falling stars which appear to us are the same bodies that sometimes obscure the sun by day. Even if large trains of meteoric bodies come periodically in contact with our earth's orbit, yet there may perhaps be an essential difference between those, which approach near to us, are caught up and ignited by our planet, and those which remain at a distance from us. For the space between us and the sun is immense, and very diverse bodies may be formed and move therein. Bodies of very different sizes and qualities may be there orginated;

We must yet advert to one circumstance, for it is necessary here to proceed like a circumspect general, who, on coming into an unknown country, stations his videttes in all directions. Grant, that meteors are of cosmic origin, and belong, like comets, to the solar system, revolving round the sun between us and it, then must the

the sun, or between that of Venus and Mercury, or that of the earth and Venus. In either case must the two inferior planets exercise some influence on the meteors, at least when in perigee. Hence it seems fit, by future observations, to look into the state of these planets, as well as of the moon, to which Mayer has already directed his attention.

From all hitherto developed, a sound and satisfactory conclusion of the present treatise is not to be expected. It could only be sought in an hypothesis at the expense of sound reason. Science here does not yet see into the clear daylight, but only into a dusky region, fearfully yet beautifully illuminated by manifold and mysterious strokes of light.

GOLDSMITH'S AUBURN.

From the Britannia.

THE County of Longford contains the birth-place of Oliver Goldsmith; he was born at Pallas, on the 10th of November, 1728. The village of Pallas, Pallice, or Pallasmore, about two miles from the small village of Ballymahon, is now a collection of mere cabins; the house in which the poet was ushered into life has been long since levelled with the ground; we could discover no traces of it, nor could we perceive in the neighborhood any objects to which the poet might have been supposed to have made reference in after life. The village of Lissoy, the

stones points out the site of "the spreading tree,"

"The hawthorn bush, with seats beneath the shade, For talking age and whispering lovers made."

The hawthorn was flourishing within existing memories: strengthened and sustained by this rude structure around it—a plan of preserving trees very common throughout the district-but, unhappily, about forty or fifty years ago, it was "knocked down by a cart" laden with apple trees; one of them struck against the aged and venerable thorn and levelled it with the earth. There it remained until, bit by bit, it was removed by the curious as relics; the root, however, is still preserved by a gentleman of Athlone. On the opposite side of the road, and immediately adjoining the "decent public," is a young and vigorous sycamore, upon which now hangs the sign of "the Pigeons." Upon conversing with two or three of the peasantry, old as ish and boyish days of the poet were passed, nise their home either as Lissoy or Auburn; well as young, we found they did not recogand here his brother-the Rev. Henry Gold. smith-continued to reside after his father's but, on asking them plainly how they called death, and was residing when the poet ded-it, we were answered, "The Pigeons, to be icated to him his poem of "The Tra- sure." sure." Nevertheless, it was pleasant to be reminded, even by a modern successor to the "spreading tree," that we stood "Near yonder thorn that lifts its head on high, Where once the sign-post caught the passing eye."

"Seat of his youth, when every sport could please," is in Westmeath on the high road to Edgeworthstown to Athlone, from which it

is distant about six miles. Here the child

veller."

The village of Lissoy, now and for nearly a century known as Auburn, stands on the summit of a hill. We left our car to ascend it, previously, however, visiting at its base "the busy mill," the wheel of which is still turned by the water of a small rivulet, converted now and then by rains into a sufficient stream. It is a mere country cottage, used in grinding the corn of the neighboring peasantry, and retains many tokens of age. Parts of the machinery are no doubt above a century old, and probably are the very same that left their impress on the poet's memory. As we advanced, other and more convincing testimony was afforded by the localities. A tall and slender steeple, distant a mile, perhaps, even to-day indi

cates

"The decent church that tops the neighboring hill,"

"The public" differs little from the generality of way-side inns in Ireland. The kitchen," if so we must term the apartment first entered, contained the usual furniture: a deal table, a few chairs, a "settle," and the potato pot beside the hob, adjacent to which were a couple of bosses, or rush seats. There was a parlor adjoining, and a floor above; but we may quote and apply, literally, a passage from the "Deserted Village:"

"Imagination fondly stoops to trace
The parlor splendors of that festive place;
The whitewash'd wall, the nicely sanded floor,
The varnish'd clock that click'd behind the door"-

objects that, we suspect, never existed at any period, except in the imagination of the and is seen from every part of the adjacent poet, being as foreign to the locality as "the scenery. To the right, in a miniature dell, nightingale," to which he alludes in a subthe pond exists; and while we stood upon sequent passage-a bird unknown in Ireits bank, as if to confirm the testimony of land. The old inn, however, was removed tradition, we heard the very sounds which long ago; and the present building, although the poet describes,

"The noisy geese that gabbled o'er the pool." On the summit of the ascent, close beside the village ale-house, where "nut-brown draughts inspired," a heap of cemented

sufficiently "decent," gave ample evidence that it was not "a house of call."

The remains of the Parsonage House stand about a hundred yards from "The Pigeons." It is a complete ruin. The roof fell about twenty-five years ago, if our in