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AURORA BOREALIS 345 AUSTEN railroad repair shops; large cotton and woolen mills; watch and carriage fac- tories ; smelting and silver plating works ; stove and machine works; and other in- dustries. It is the farming and manu- facturing center for Kane and adjoining counties. It has churches, State hospital, Aurora College, electric light and street railway plants, water works, National banks, and daily and weekly newspapers. Pop. (1910) 29,807; (1920) 36,265. AURORA BOREALIS, a luminous meteoric phenomenon appearing in the N., most frequently in high latitudes, the corresponding phenomenon in the south- ern hemisphere being called aurora aus- tralis, and both being also called polar light, streamers, etc. The northern au- rora has been far the most observed and studied. It usually manifests itself by streams of light ascending toward the zenith from a dusky line of cloud or haze a few degrees above the horizon, and stretching from the N. toward the W. and E., so as to form an arc with its ends on the horizon, and its different parts and rays are constantly in motion. Sometimes it appears in detached places; at other times it almost covers the whole sky. It assumes many shapes and a va- riety of colors, from a pale red or yellow to a deep red or blood color; and in the northern latitudes serves to illuminate the earth and cheer the gloom of the long winter nights. The appearance of the aurora borealis so exactly resembles the effects of artificial electricity that there is every reason to believe that their causes are identical. The aurora borealis is frequently accompanied by sound, which is variously described as resem- bling the rustling of pieces of silk against each other, or the sound of wind against the flame of a candle. The aurora of the southern hemisphere is quite a similar phenomenon to that of the northern. AURUNGZEBE (au-rung-zeb') , known as the Great Mogul, or Emperor of Hin- dustan, born Oct. 22, 1618. He was the son of Shah Jehan, and properly named Mohammed, but received from his grand- father that of Aurungzebe (Ornament of the Throne) . After deposing and impris- oning his father, and putting his broth- ers to death, Aurungzebe, in 1658, was crowned sole monarch of the great Mogul Empire. His long reign was more re- markable for its internal policy than for its outward events. Aurungzebe carried on many wars, conquered Golconda and Beejapur, and subjugated the Mahrattas. Aurungzebe died at Ahmednuggur, in the Deccan, Feb. 21, 1709, master of 21 provinces, and of a revenue of about $200,000,000. AUSABLE CHASM, a picturesque and popular American summer resort, in New York State; 12 miles from Plattsburg, and 1 mile from Keeseville. It is an iso- lated formation, wholly independent of, and disconnected from, any other similar panorama. At the beginning of the chasm, the river is hemmed into a chan- nel not more than 10 feet wide by walls of rock from 100 to 200 feet high. Low- er down the walls gradually spread apart till in some places there is a distance be- tween them of 50 feet, and then extend with sharp turns and occasional enlarge- ments for nearly 2 miles. The trip through the chasm may be made in a small boat or on foot. AUSCULTATION, the art of discover- ing diseases within the body by means of the sense of hearing. Being carried out most efficiently by means of an in- strument called a stethoscope, it is often called mediate auscultation. It is used to study the natural sounds produced with- in the body, especially the action of the lungs and heart, both in health and dis- ease. Its operation can be facilitated by percussion of the surface. AUSPICES, among the Romans, omens, especially those drawn from the flight or other movements of birds, or, less prop- erly, from the occurrence of lightning or thunder in particular parts of the sky. These were supposed to be indications of the will of heaven, and to reveal futurity. At first only the augurs took the auspices, but after a time civil officers, discharg- ing important functions, had the right of doing so. Two kinds of auspices, however, arose — a greater and a lesser; the former reserved to dictators, consuls, censors, prastors, or the commander-in- chief in war; the latter permitted to less exalted functionaries. The glory of a successful enterprise was universally as- signed to the person who took the aus- pices, and not to the leader of the enter- prise itself; hence, the phrase arose, to carry on a war "under the auspices" of the Emperor or some other high authority. AUSTEN, JANE, an English novelist, born at Stevenson, Hampshire, of which parish her father was the rector, Dec. 16, 1775. She was the youngest of seven children, among whom she had but one sister,, and of her brothers two ultimately rose to the rank of Admiral in the navy. Jane learned French and Italian, and had a good acquaintance with English liter- ature, her favorite authors being Rich- ardson, Johnson, Cowper, Crabbe, and later, Scott. In 1801 she went with her family to Bath, and after her father's death in 1805, removed to Southampton,