The three past years, 1876, 1877, and 1878, have been distinguished by the infrequency of Auroræ; and Jupiter’s equatorial zone and belts have been mainly reported of light tints. The subject apparently deserves more attention than it has hitherto received. _The Aurora and the Zodiacal Light._ [Sidenote: The Aurora and the Zodiacal Light. Ångström’s observation on spectrum.] Ångström in 1867 found the spectrum of the Zodiacal Light to be monochromatic, consisting of a single line in the green, to which he assigned approximately the position 1259 on Kirchhoff’s scale, the same that he had determined for the green line of the Aurora Borealis; and Respighi, on the Red Sea, on the evening of the 11th and the morning of the 12th January 1872, perceived in the Zodiacal Light not only this green line, but near it, towards the blue, a band or zone of apparently continuous spectrum. [Sidenote: Respighi’s at Campidoglio.] At the Observatory of the Royal University of Campidoglio, February 5th, 1872, Respighi, at 7 P.M., was able to discern the same spectrum; and on directing the spectroscope to other points he found that this spectrum showed itself in all parts of the heavens from the horizon to the zenith, more or less defined in different parts, but everywhere as bright as in the Zodiacal Light. The Observatory Assistant, Dr. di Legge, likewise observed this spectrum distinctly in various parts of the heavens. Respighi’s observations corroborating Ångström’s in 1867, appeared to him to demonstrate the identity of the Zodiacal Light with the Aurora, and to establish the identity of their origin. [Sidenote: Pringle thinks the Aurora may be considered as allied to the Zodiacal Light.] Pringle, in a letter to ‘Nature’ from South Canara, October 3, 1871, alludes to the Aurora as being considered by many allied to the Zodiacal Light, and does not think the evidence then hitherto adduced against the theory at all conclusive. He says:—“Assume the auroral light to consist of solid particles of matter, planet dust, shining by reflected light, and it is not difficult to imagine the Aurora playing amongst these tiny worlds, each of which would have its own small magnetic system swayed like our own by the monster magnet the sun.” [Sidenote: Phosphorescence of sky when Zodiacal Light has been seen bright.] He notices he has never found it to have a decided outline, nor traced it east or west to 180° from the sun. He also refers to others having noticed that when the Zodiacal Light has been seen unusually bright, a “phosphorescence” of the sky was everywhere visible. [Sidenote: Pringle failed to find bright lines or bands in the Zodiacal Light.]