146 



Br, J, H, Gladstone, 



[May 20, 



265 



93 



On glancing at these numbers, we cannot fail to remark, the great 

 deficiency of orange meteors in August, and their comparative 

 abundance in November, while conversely blue meteors occur in great 

 numbers during August and are comparatively rare at the later period. 

 The yellow appear in about average quantity in each month as com- 

 pared with the whole year, but the red exceed the average somewhat 

 in November. Hence it may be deduced, that at the autumnal period 

 the meteorites generally burn with a red or orange glow, while those 

 which cross our orbit about the 10th of August display in combustion 

 a blue colour, and this is in perfect accordance with what is observed 

 on a closer inspection of Prof. Powell's lists. The speaker stated that 

 last August he had had the good fortune to witness these streaming 

 blue meteors passing from east to west, and leaving a phosphorescent 

 train in their wake. 



Another fact of interest connected with this subject, is the change 

 that is frequently remarked in the colour of a meteor during its passage. 

 Thus the French observations make repeated mention of falling stars 

 that changed from white when overhead, to bluish or reddish in the 

 horizon ; from white they have been also seen to change to orange- 

 yellow and blue-green, to reddish and bluish with a reddish train ; and 

 from yellowish white to orange-yellow and greenish-white, the meteor 

 being broken into several fragments, two of which passed from white to 

 the colour of red-hot iron. The changes from orange-yellow to green, 

 and from yellow and red to greenish-yellow have also been recorded by 

 M. Coulvier Gravier, The Chinese tell of the converse change from 

 red to white, and British observations record the passage from blue to 

 red ; from blue to green, and finally red ; from green to crimson ; and 

 from green to orange and red. The trains left by meteors during their 

 flight, are usually of the same colour as the meteors tliemselves, but not 

 always so ; thus red meteors have sometimes left a blue luminosity, 

 and conversely red sparks have frequently fallen from meteors of an- 

 other colour. The Chinese record such instances in such terms as " at 

 the moment when the globe of fire fell, a flame appeared, and a score 

 of little red stars jumped out of it." 



On turning over the British Association Catalogues we observe 

 many indications of these changes of colour ; thus, in an account of a 

 meteor seen at Poona on Sept. 7, 1847, we read: — "Before the first 

 bursting the meteor was of exceeding brightness, of an intense blue 

 colour, and at the instant of explosion it changed into red." The 

 following is nearer home. A fire-ball is thus described by an observer 



