418 Supposed Connection of Meteoric Phenomena^ 



of the kind witnessed in 1833, and that there was probably no 

 similar occurrence on those mornings, which were clear, just be- 

 fore and after the 13th inst" (p. 336.) He gives the observa- 

 tions on which this conclusion is founded, from which it 

 appears, that, on Nov. 9th he saw the zodiacal light at 3 a.m.; 

 on the 10th, he saw one very brilliant meteor at 4 a.m. in 

 the west, followed by rain from s. w. on Uth; 12th, no 

 meteors; 13th, no meteors at 12 h. 10 m. a.m.; three meteors 

 in ten minutes to s.e. at 2 h. 40 m. 50 s. a.m. ; seven meteors in 

 fifteen minutes 3 h. 50m. to 4h. 10 m. a.m. ; "five faint meteors 

 in half a minute, and then very rare. Three after those five in 

 about ff teen minutes" 



After this, two brilliant meteors were seen, but out of the 

 line of the radiant of three of the before-mentioned five. 

 "In reviewing," he continues, "the observation of this morn- 

 ing, the only remarkable occurrence of meteors is that noted 

 between 5 h. 15 m. and 5 h. 30 m. a.m. But this was neither 

 in degree nor in kind like a portion of the meteoric phenomenon 

 noticed in November, 1833." (p. 337.) Professor Bache argues 

 from the insignificance of the numbers seen, and the striking 

 fact, that " the paths of two of the five meteors did not meet 

 the approximate radiant of the other three." He next asserts, 

 " These meteors were similar both in degree and kind to ordinary 

 meteors;" and that the average of eight meteors in fifteen 

 minutes, over one third of the hemisphere, was much below 

 the average of what he and his coadjutor, Mr. Espy, had de- 

 scried in the summer time over one fifth of the sky, where 

 meteors are very rare. On the 14th, they saw two meteors 

 in twenty minutes, followed by rain four hours after; by snow 

 on the 15th and 16th, by hail on the 17th, and rain on 

 the 18th. 



2. The second paper (art. xxi. p. 339.) is headed, " Me- 

 teors on the Morning of November 13. 1834 ; by Alexander 

 Twining, Civil Engineer." 



Mr. Twining does not speak with the same confidence as 

 in his former papers. He says, the zodiacal light was more 

 brilliant than ever he saw it on the morning of Nov. 9. Be- 

 tween 1 and 2 o'clock, a.m. Nov. 13., he saw one meteor of 

 considerable brightness, " but nothing uncommon was visible at 

 that hour" Soon after four, " there was evidently an unusual 

 number of meteors; lower in altitude than 30°; in either 

 quarter of the hemisphere ; reddish ; about the size of Mars ; 

 their flights were not more than 8° or 10°: but one, nearly in 

 the zenith, shot through 20°. They were attended with trains 

 of several minutes in breadth. One only continued three 

 seconds. In twenty- five minutes, thirty meteors were counted, 



