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REVIEWS OF NEW PUBLICATIONS. 



Observations on the Meteoric Shower of November, 1837- By Denison Olm- 

 sted, Professor of Astronomy and Natural Philosophy in Yale College. New- 

 haven : R. L. Hamlen. 1837. 8vo. pp. 16. 



This treatise appeared originally in the thirty-third volume of the American 

 Journal of Science and Arts. Whether or not it is thus early brought to a 

 second edition at^the " request of friends," or for more recondite purposes, does not 

 transpire ; but the great interest of the subject, and the manner in which Professor 

 Olmsted and his pupils have conducted their joint researches, appear to us 

 sufficiently to warrant the republication of the facts. As the essay is already 

 tolerably condensed, and as it would scarcely be fair to analyse our author's 

 observations too minutely, we shall, instead of supplying a third edition of his 

 paper, content ourselves with noticing a few of the most interesting circumstances 

 mentioned by the writer and his correspondents. 



Professor Olmsted and his young friends appear to have seen more shooting 

 stars on the night of Nov. 12 than were noticed in other quarters, on which sub- 

 ject our author observes : — " To some who have averred that there were on that 

 night few or none to be seen elsewhere, but have ascribed the favours so much 

 more freely bestowed here to the courteous attention paid them on former visits, 

 we would respectfully recommend, that hereafter they use the ceremony to meet 

 these celestial visitants out of doors, and in full dress. A constant gaze with the 

 neck bent backwards, for six hours or more, in a frosty night, is the kind of 

 etiquette they exact." 



No shooting stars were observed till five minutes after one o'clock, and from 

 that time till seven o'clock 230 were noticed, or, deducting four meteors which — 

 as was afterwards found — had been counted twice, the exact number was 226. 

 The greatest number were seen in the south-east, and the fewest in the south- 

 west, the proportion being as three to one. On the whole the largest number 

 occurred from four to five o'clock, although this was not the case invariably, when 

 the several quarters were -examined separately. The maximum of the shower has 

 in former years invariably been at about four o'clock. Frequently several meteors 

 started at the same time and from the same part of the heavens, falling, 

 however, in different directions. 



Seven meteors were observed to rise. All the meteors, except ten or twelve, 

 proceeded in directions diverging from the constellation Leo. Those which did 



