This connexion between the sun’s spots and the earth’s magnetism has been considered as proved; and one instance at least of an intense disturbance and outbreak of the sun’s surface having been observed simultaneously with the occurrence of a terrestrial magnetic storm is a matter of record. This will be found detailed in the ‘Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society,’ vol. xx. pp. 13 and 15, and is so interesting in its character that it may be briefly referred to here. Mr. R. C. Carrington, September 1, 1859, 11h 18m, while observing and drawing a group of solar spots, saw suddenly two patches of intense bright light break out in the middle of the group. The brilliancy was fully equal to that of direct sunlight. Seeing the outbreak was on the increase, Mr. Carrington left the telescope, to call some one to witness it. On his return within sixty seconds it was nearly concluded. The spots travelled from their first position, and vanished as two rapidly fading dots of white light. In five minutes the two spots traversed a space of about 35,000 miles. Mr. Carrington found no change in the group itself. His impression was that the phenomena took place at an elevation considerably above the general surface of the sun, and above and over the great group of spots on which it was seen projected. It broke out at 11h 18m, and vanished at 11h 23m. Mr. R. Hodgson independently on the same day, and at close upon the same time, saw a very brilliant star of light, much brighter than the sun’s surface, most dazzling to the protected eye, illuminating the upper edges of the adjacent spots and streaks. The rays extended in all directions, and the centre might be compared to α Lyræ when seen in a large telescope. It lasted for some five minutes. At the very moment of this solar disturbance the instruments at Kew indicated a _magnetic storm_; and Proctor, in his volume on the Sun, page 206, details how this magnetic storm was accompanied by very widely-spread indications of electrical disturbance in many parts of the globe. Vivid Auroræ were seen not only in both hemispheres, but in latitudes and places where they are seldom witnessed. Rome, Cuba, and the West Indies, the tropics within 18° of the equator, and even South America and Australia, are thus referred to for displays. At Melbourne, on the night of September 2nd, the greatest Aurora ever seen there made its appearance. It was observed, too, that magnetic communication was at the same time disturbed all over the earth. Strong currents, continually changing their direction, swept along the telegraphic wires. At Washington and Philadelphia the signal-clerks received severe shocks, and the wires had to give up work. At a station in Norway the transmitting apparatus was set fire to; and at Boston, in North America, a flame of fire followed the pen of Baine’s electric telegraph.