220 Notices respecting New Booh. 



It was not till the 10th of August 1811 that the idea of their 

 periodicity occurred to Dr. Forster, when he and his father counted 

 some hundreds, and by their journal perceived their recurrence on 

 that same day. Indeed, in copying a curious old manuscript calen- 

 dar, he found the 10th and 18th of August called stellibvndce and 

 meterodes ; but he acknowledges their frequency at all times and 

 in all places. 



Inclined to assign them a gaseous origin, our author has yet, in 

 deference'to the learned men who differed from him, endeavoured to 

 relate fairly the various arguments in favour of their several theories. 



Aristotle regarded meteors as arising from exhalations denoting 

 an approaching change of weather. Theophrastus thought they pro- 

 gnosticated wind from the quarter towards which they rushed. And 

 Aratus agreed with him, especially if they left long lingering tails, 

 in which he was imitated by Virgil. Lucan in his Pharsalia rather 

 confounds meteors with the fixed stars. Homer compares the descent 

 of Minerva to the rush of a meteor. 



Passing over the middle ages, when meteors were feared as indica- 

 tions of Divine anger, we find that in the seventeenth century electri- 

 city began to be suspected, and was supported by the highest names 

 of that sera. Then the magnificent meteor of the 18th of August 1783 

 brought out the elaborate paper by Dr. Blagden in the Philosophical 

 Transactions for the following year. As to their velocity, it varies 

 so much that this element cannot suffice to decide from what height 

 they fall. The meteor above alluded to moved at only six miles per 

 second when at about ninety miles above our heads. Cavallo esti- 

 mated its diameter at 3200 feet, and its elevation at 560 miles. Cer- 

 tainly the explosion not being heard for ten minutes after it was 

 seen is a sufficient proof of its distance. The general electric state 

 of the atmosphere that year over half the globe is well known, by 

 the remarks made in consequence of the violent earthquakes that 

 occurred. 



In support of the theory that meteors are occasioned by the igni- 

 tion of columns of inflammable gas. Dr. Forster mentions the ignis 

 fatuus, and the flitting lights that are seen in May on cabbages. 

 Many naturalists regard meteors as one of the various phaenomena 

 attributable to electricity, and some expected to find that they chiefly 

 pointed to the magnetic pole. 



Many roofs of thatch have been ignited by the fall of meteors 

 upon them, and this must be the explanation of towns recorded to 

 have been burnt by fire from heaven. The explosion of the meteor 

 of the 25th of September 1846, was heard a few seconds after it was 

 seen : but if, instead of the ambiguous term a few, spectators would 

 count slowly, they would aff^ord a much nearer approach to the true 

 time elapsed, especially if they would afterwards count at the same 

 rate when they can compare with a seconds watch, or with a clock. 

 (A.S.) The tail of that meteor was larger than usual, and lasted longer, 

 some persons stating fifty seconds, others some minutes. More 

 precise details are requisite. It was at first whitish, then purplish, 

 and lastly red, when it became curved, and faded in a serpentine 



