524 Royal Astronomical Society. 



tained which will do well for work ; rarely is one obtained which is 

 perfectly satisfactory. This arises in part from the impossibility of 

 testing the mirror while it is under the machine. 



Adverting to Mr. Lassell's use of a wooden polisher, Lord Rosse 

 had stated to the Astronomer Royal, that he himself had at first used 

 a wooden polisher, but that he bad abandoned it, as there appeared 

 to be abundant evidence that the polisher was continually changing 

 its figure from the absorption of moisture. He considers it totally 

 inadmissible for very large specula. It will, however, probably be 

 necessary, with Mr. Lassell's apparatus, to use a light wooden po- 

 lisher, because it appears scarcely practicable in that apparatus to 

 apply a counterpoise. 



In speaking of the results of observations with the large telescope. 

 Lord Rosse had stated to the Astronomer Royal that the nebula H. 

 131 exhibited a well-marked spiral structure, and that 2241 has a 

 central hollow. 



Some Remarks on Falling Stars by Mr. Lowe*. 

 Mr. Lowe gives the following epochs when falling stars are said 

 to be abundant : — 



April 22'! to 25'' Nov. 12^ to W^ 



July 17 .. 26 Nov. 27 . . 29 



Aug. 9 .. 11 Dec. 6 .. 12 



To which he adds from his own observation, Oct. 16*^ to 18'^. 

 There are many occurrences in January, but the days do not appear 

 to be fixed. 



Mr. Lowe then states by whom observations have been made at 

 the foregoing epochs, and when and where. 



The August epoch has been observed every year since 1841, and 

 is said by Mr. Lowe to be the most certain. 



The November epoch, 12*^ to 14**, seems also well-fixed, but has 

 in late years been surpassed by the August epoch in brilliancy. 



The epochs, Nov. 11^ to 29^*, and Dec. Q"^ to 12^ are somewhat 

 doubtful, so far as Mr. Lowe's observations extend. 



The October epoch has been observed in 1843, 4, 6, 7 and 8, but 

 has not, so far as Mr. Lowe knows, been usually considered an 

 epoch. 



On referring back the paths of meteors, it is found that a consider- 

 able number diverge from the same point in the heavens ; thus, du- 

 ring the July period of the present year, and up to the 9th of August, 

 the paths of the meteors, if produced backwards, would nearly meet 

 at a point to the east of a Cygni. 



In 1848, of 80 meteors seen on August 19th, the paths of 55 were 

 recorded ; 23 came from Cygnus, 26 from Cassiopeia, and 6 were 

 discordant. In 1847 out of 13, 5 came from Cygnus and 8 from 

 Cassiopeia. This is confirmed by other observers. It seems very 



* Further particulars will be found in the forthcoming Report of the 

 British Association, " Catalogue of Observations on Luminous Meteors," 

 by Professor Powell ; and " Some Remarks on Luminous Meteors," by E. 

 J. Lowe, Esq. 



