Royal Astronomical Society. 525 



probable that this divergence was merely apparent, and that the me- 

 teors were nearly parallel to each other. 



On the 16th of August last, Mr. Lowe was surprised to see a 

 number of very small meteors, but brilliant for their size (being only 

 the apparent size of the smallest fixed star on a clear night), which 

 moved more slowly, and occupied a smaller portion of the heavens 

 than on the 10th, He attributes this difference to their greater 

 distance. 



On the 10th of last August, Mr. Lowe observed that out of 55 

 meteors there were 1 1 cases in which one star followed another in 

 the same track nearly, and after an interval varying from 2 minutes 

 to 15 seconds. When a meteor follows another in the same path, 

 it has invariably been noticed that it also moves with the same speed. 

 From this circumstance, together with the fact that such meteors are 

 frequently very different in size, it may be supposed that tlie two 

 bodies are connected. If this be so, then a meteor at lO'' 29"" had 

 two attendants. This suggestion, if confirmed, would also show that 

 these bodies are material. 



Mr. Lowe conceives that in our present state of knowledge of 

 these curious appearances, we might conveniently arrange them in 

 three classes : — 



1st. Falling stars which leave luminous streaks behind them. 



2nd. Stars which do not leave such streaks. 



3rd. Luminous bodies, with defined discs. 



The first probably shine by inherent light, for otherwise it is dif- 

 ficult to account for a luminous streak which lasts several seconds 

 (in some cases even minutes) after the meteor itself has disappeared. 

 The second may shine by reflected light, as described by Sir John 

 Lubbock, and the third are probably atmospheric, as they chiefly 

 move in discordant paths, are various in shape, and not unfrequently 

 change colour. 



On the 8th of last August, at 10^ 16", a meteor of a conical 

 form, about twice the apparent size of a star of the first magnitude, 

 moved slowly in a horizontal direction from ^ Bootis, about 1 ° below 

 Arcturus (it left numerous sparks in its track). Here it suddenly 

 disappeared, and reappeared in about P and about 1°^ further on. 

 Thus it had moved in the same track, though invisible. On its re- 

 appearance it was neither so large nor so brilliant as before, and gave 

 the impression of a body moving rapidly and nearly directly /rom 

 the observer. It was orange-red, and was visible about 5* besides 

 the time of disappearance. The length of its path after its reappear- 

 ance was about 3°. The disappearance might be accounted for by 

 supposing the meteor to shine by borrowed light, and to have passed 

 through the umbra of some solid body. Sir John Lubbock suggests 

 that it may have passed through the shadow of the earth. 



At Castle Lecky, Newtown- Linawady, county of Londonderry, 

 Mr. Webb saw (Nov. 1**, at ll'^ p.m.) in the north, a descending 

 meteor, which having fallen a considerable distance in an inclined 

 straight line diverged suddenly (to the west) on approaching towards 

 a dense cloud. The meteor described a curved path, concave to the 

 cloud, by which it was evidently diverted, and then disappeared. 



