[Sidenote: English Arctic Expedition, 1875-76. Instructions for use of officers. Appendix B. Capt. Sir G. Nares’s report. True Auroræ seldom observed, and displays faint. Citron-line observed on only two displays. Appendix C.] In anticipation of the starting of this Expedition, some instructions for the use of the officers in connexion with the hoped for display of brilliant Auroræ were prepared:—as to general features of the Auroræ, by Professor Stokes; as to Polarization, by Dr. William Spottiswoode; and as to Spectrum work, by Mr. Norman Lockyer and myself. As these instructions were somewhat elaborate, and will apply to all Auroral displays, I have supplied a copy of them in Appendix B. They were unfortunately not brought into requisition, for want of the Auroræ themselves. Capt. Sir George Nares has reported to the Admiralty, under date 5th December, 1877, as follows:—“Although the auroral glow was observed on several occasions between 25 October, 1875, and 26 February, 1876, true Auroræ were seldom observed; and the displays were so faint, and lasted so short a time, and the spectrum observations led to such poor results, that no special report has been considered necessary. Although the citron-line was observed occasionally, on only two displays of the Aurora was it well defined, and then for so short a time that no measure could be obtained.” (For Sir George Nares’s further Report see Appendix C, containing extracts from blue-book, ‘Results derived from the Arctic Expedition, 1875-6.’) _Aurora Australis._ [Sidenote: Aurora Australis. Mr. Forster’s description. Long columns of white light spreading over the whole sky.] In an article on Auroræ in high Southern latitudes (Phil. Trans. No. 461, and vol. liv. No. 53), we find that Mr. Forster, who as naturalist accompanied Capt. Cook on his second voyage round the world, says:—“On February 17th, 1773, in south latitude 58°, a beautiful phenomenon was observed during the preceding night, which appeared again this, and several following nights. It consisted of long columns of a clear white light shooting up from the horizon to the eastward almost to the zenith, and gradually spreading over the whole southern part of the sky. These columns were sometimes bent sideways at their upper extremities; and though in most respects similar to the northern lights of our hemisphere, yet differed from them in being always of a whitish colour, whereas ours assume various tints, especially those of a fiery and purple hue. The sky was generally clear when they appeared, and the air sharp and cold, the thermometer standing at the freezing point.” This account agrees very closely in particulars with Capt. Maclear’s notice of Aurora Australis [after referred to], and especially in the marked absence of red Auroræ. The height of the barometer does not appear to be mentioned, the temperature being apparently much the same as in the more recent cases.