(See Plate XII.)
1. W.L. 6297, Vogel. Very bright stripe; first noticed by Zöllner. Seen only in red Auroræ; stands out on a dark ground, without other lines near it. Character of line sharp and well defined; varies in colour from dusky red to bright crimson. Intensity, Herschel, 0 to 4 or 8. According to same, position coincident with atmospheric absorption-group “a” in solar spectrum (between C and D). I confirm this position according to my scale of solar lines, and a drawing of the coincidence (in which, and in Plate XII., the absorption-lines are drawn too dark) is given on Plate XIII. fig. 2. Herschel says this line coincides with a red band in the negative glow-discharge, but its identity is doubtful. Its isolation and want of adjacent lines seem to separate it from the air-spectrum and gas-spectra in general. At the appearance of this line, 5569 (No. 2) becomes noticeably fainter. When this line is bright, 5189 (No. 5) is bright also (Vogel).
If we propose to assign to this line, as well as to 5569, a phosphorescent origin, it would be strongly confirmatory of such a theory (in connexion with the phosphoretted-hydrogen spectrum) to find it brighten at low temperatures.
Note.—Sir John Franklin says, in his ‘Polar Expeditions,’ that a low state of temperature is favourable for the production of brilliant coruscations. It was seldom witnessed that the Auroræ were much agitated, or that the prismatic tints were very apparent, when the temperature was above zero.
2. Line in the yellow-green. Brightest of all lines in the Aurora-spectrum. W.L. 5567, Ångström; 5569, Vogel. Intensity 25, Herschel. To me more pale green than yellow, sometimes flickering and changing in brightness (Herschel and Capron). Seen in all Auroræ usually sharp and bright, but Procter has once recorded it nebulous. Its character as to width, sharpness, and intensity, if carefully observed, might indicate height and structure of Aurora. Becomes noticeably fainter at appearance of red line (Vogel). Found by me to correspond in position with a faint atmospheric absorption-band (see Plate XIII. fig. 2). According to Ångström and Herschel, arising from a phosphorescent and fluorescent light, emitted when air is subjected to the action of electrical discharge.
3. Line in green near last. W.L. 5390. An extremely faint and unreliable observation (Vogel). Seen only by him, unless Alvan Clarke’s 5320 (coronal?) be the same.
4. Line in green-blue. W.L. 5233, moderately bright (Vogel); 5200, Winlock. Intensity, 2 or 0? to 6, Herschel. Coincides with line in the negative glow according to same. Frequently observed.
5. Line in green-blue. W.L. 5189. This line is very bright when the red line appears at the same time; otherwise equal in brilliancy with No. 3 (Vogel); Winlock, 5200. Not so frequently observed as No. 3. Barker gives a band extending from 5330 to 5200. Intensity of 5189, 0 to 8, Herschel, who considers it coincident with a constant strong line in the spark-discharge.
6. Line in blue. W.L. 5004. Very bright line, Vogel; 5020, Barker (coronal?). Intensity 2 or 0? to 8, Herschel. Coincides with line of nitrogen in the nebulæ according to same. Barker gives a band extending from 5050 to 4990.
7. Line in the blue not found by Vogel in Aurora, April 9th, 1871. W.L. 4850, Alvan Clarke; 4820, Backhouse and Barker. Intensity, Herschel, of 4820-4870, 0 to 4? Herschel suspects this and No. 4 to be seen only in Auroral streamers of low elevation. Barker gives a band extending from 4930 to 4850.