Miss Zornlin on the Periodical Shooting Stars. 349 



was also witnessed, at the same time, in considerable splen- 

 dour, at Geneva, and in other parts of Europe; at Oren- 

 burg, and in Arabia. 



The November periodical shooting stars have likewise, as 

 is well known, been observed in later years in this country, 

 though in smaller numbers ; but what is more to my present 

 purpose, on some occasions, whilst a brilliant display of these 

 meteors has been witnessed in other parts of the globe, me- 

 teoric phaenomena of different character have been observed 

 in this island. Thus, on the evening of November 12, 1837, 

 a fine coloured aurora, accompanied by some shooting stars, 

 was observed at this place, as well as in many other parts of 

 Britain *; and on the morning of the 13th of November, 1838, 

 I witnessed meteoric phaenomena of the grandest description, 

 consisting of three successive and distinct splendid auroras, 

 exhibiting well-defined arches, as also streamers and patches 

 of the most vivid red and green hues. This magnificent dis- 

 play was accompanied by a small number of shooting starsf. 

 Auroras, and other similar meteoric phaenomena, are also on 

 record as having occurred in various years on the 12th and 

 13th of November in other parts of the globe. Thus, on the 

 13th of November, 1832, when, as already mentioned, shooting 

 stars were observed in great splendour in this country, as also 

 at Geneva, in Arabia, and at Orenburg, remarkable meteoric 

 phaenomena, consisting of brilliant luminous columns and 

 bands, were witnessed both to the north and south of the latter 

 place; and on the 13th of November, 1836, an aurora was ob- 

 served at New York, and other places in the United States. Nor 

 does the occurrence of these periodical meteoric phaenomena 

 appear to be confined to very recent times ; for we find it re- 

 corded, that on November 13, 1755, "The sky was red, and 

 red rain fell in different countries." And again, on the 14th 

 of November, 1765, "Red rain fell in PicardyJ." Nay, the 

 collection of facts from which the above accounts are taken, 

 enables us to trace the occurrence of apparently similar phae- 

 nomena to a much earlier era ; it being recorded that on the 

 5th or 6th of November, 472, there was " a great fall of black 

 dust, probably at Constantinople, during which the heavens 



* See an account by Professor Forbes in Phil. Mag., Supplementary 

 Number for January 1838. [Third Series, vol. xii. p. 85.] 



f For a notice of the phaenomena exhibited on this occasion, I would 

 refer to a paper in the Phil. Mag. for Jan. 1839, [S. 3. voi. xiv. p. 39.] by 

 Mr. W..R. Birt, with whose observations my own, as far as they were 

 carried, closely correspond ; though no description could convey an ade- 

 quate idea of the splendour of the phaenomena. 



X Account of Meteoric Stones, &c. which have fallen from the Heavens, 

 from the earliest period down to 1819. Edin. Phil. Journal, Oct, 18J9, 



