of Shooting Stars observable at certain times. 269 



the average number of these meteors which may be observed on a 

 winter's night. 



This result of the inquiries of M. Quetelet is important enougli 

 for us to give it, supported by all the documents which establish it. 



M. Quetelet, before making known the observations which he 

 recorded in 1824, with several other persons, remarks, that in ma- 

 king these observations his object was not to record the number of 

 shooting stars which may be counted in a given time, but merely to 

 bring together the elements necessary for calculating the height, the 

 velocity, and all that has relation to the path of these meteors ; it 

 follows, therefore, that the results which they furnish ought to be 

 considered as an under estimate, since many stars were not re- 

 corded, because the elements which should have served for their 

 calculation were not sufficiently exact. The same remark must also 

 be applied to the observations made by Benzenberg and Brandes 

 in 1798, the results of which will be given, as well as those made by 

 this last philosopher in 1823, the results of which will also be given. 



The observations by Benzenberg and Brandes in 1798 were 

 made in the environs of Gcettingen. These two philosophers were 

 at first alone, and placed at a distance of 27,050 French feet apart. 

 But after three series of observations they felt the necessity of being 

 further apart, and they placed themselves at the extremities of a 

 base of 46,200 feet, and this time each of them took an assistant to 

 note down under his dictation the observations, the results of which 

 are brought together in the following table : 



Mean number for Benzenberg, about 6 stars an hour. 



Brandes, about 10 stars an hour. 

 Mean number, 8 stars per hour. 



The observations by Brandes in 1823 lasted two successive hours; 

 they were made near the time of the new moons, and during the 

 months of April, May, August, September, and October. The re- 

 sults are given in the following table : 



