The Rev. T. W. Webb, in his ‘Celestial Objects’ (1859), p. 43, quoting from the Philosophical Transactions, mentions that, “January 23rd, 1749-50, there was a splendid Aurora Borealis about 6 P.M. The Rev. Dr. Miles, at Tooting, had been showing Jupiter and Venus to some friends with one of Short’s reflectors, greatest power 200, when a small red cloud of the Aurora appeared, rising up from the S.W. (as one of a deeper red had done before), which proceeded in a line with the planets and soon surrounded both. Venus appearing still in full lustre, he viewed her again with the telescope without altering the focus, and saw her much more distinctly than ever he had done upon any occasion. His friends were of the same opinion. They all saw her spots plain (resembling those in the moon), which he had never seen before, and this while the cloud seemed to surround it as much as ever.” I think this effect might perhaps have arisen from the Aurora acting as a screen, and removing the glare with which so bright an object as Venus is always accompanied; but the case is a singular one, and one would be glad of further experience. I suggested observations on this head during Sir Geo. Nares’s Arctic Expedition; but the suggestion, for some reason of which I am not aware, was not included in the official instructions issued. [Sidenote: Brightness of stars during Auroræ.] Remarks are frequent of the brightness of stars as seen through Auroræ. Payer, of the Austrian Expedition, remarks that falling stars passed through the Aurora without producing any perceptible effect or undergoing any change. [Sidenote: Aurora of Oct. 24, 1870, and Jupiter.] A grand display of the Aurora took place 24th October, 1870. About this time the belts of Jupiter were observed to be highly coloured. As observed by me on the night of November 2, 1870, at 9 P.M., with an 8¼-in. Browning reflector, achromatic eyepieces 144, 305, and 450, the equatorial zone was of a distinctly dark ochre colour, deepening to red-brown as it approached the lower (N.) edge. Two thin belts above were slate-purple, and a darker belt below was of a deep purple colour. [Sidenote: According to Lassell and others, Jupiter’s belts exhibit the brightest colours at period of Auroræ.] Lassell, Proctor, and others have reported Jupiter’s belts to exhibit the brightest colours at the period of Auroræ. Mr. Browning gives a drawing of Jupiter as seen on January 31, 1870 (a year noted for Auroræ), with the belts brightly coloured. The finest view of Jupiter I ever had was on the 8th February, 1872 (a fine Aurora was on the 4th), when, with the 8¼-inch Browning reflector, I saw the whole surface of the planet (by glimpses) cloud-mottled. The equatorial belt was, however, then slightly tinted only. In Dr. Miles’s observation (p. 66) he does not seem to have noticed the colouring of Jupiter’s belts. [Sidenote: Infrequency of Auroræ and lightness in tint of Jupiter’s belts.]