made on the Night of August 10, 1839. 373 



for the better we retired to rest. The dew was very heavy 

 until 12'', but after IS"" it entirely disappeared. During 3^ 

 22'^, actual observation, we noted 152 shooting stars, of which 

 I have registered the times of apparition, the directions, the 

 estimated duration, and magnitudes of 138. Of the remainder 

 merely the time of apparition was taken down, in consequence 

 of the rapid succession of the phaenomena, and the impossi- 

 bility of keeping in mind all their directions, &c. Three or 

 four were very splendid, but none equal to the finest seen on the 

 10th of August 1838, at Geneva. The general result however 

 fully establishes the fact that the nights of the 10th or 11th of 

 August furnish a most remarkable exhibition of these inter- 

 esting celestial travellers, and I think that experience fully 

 justifies the prediction that these, and the nights 13th and 

 14'th of November, will in future be their established galas. 

 The average number per hour in the half hemisphere to which 

 we attended was 44; exceeding considerably the average of 

 last year at Geneva ; but it should be recollected that the total 

 absence of the moon this year afforded a considerable advan- 

 tage to observers over the corresponding nights of last year. 

 The only circumstance particularly worthy of notice this year 

 is the fact that several of the shooting stars appeared to move 

 uptvardsy whereas no instance of this was remarked last year 

 at Geneva. I subjoin my form of observing, and a list for this 

 year, similar to that which I sent last year to Dr. Robinson, 



Richard Taylor, Esq., Yours, &c. 



Sfc. Sfc. 4'c. Edward Cooper. 



Aug. 10. 9^^ 15^ from a Urs. Min. to /3 Ophiuchi. Dura- 

 tion l^'S. Mag. 4. Brandsbury. — No train. 



Aug. 10. 9'' 18"* from e Cassiop. to >j Coron. Bor. Dura- 

 tion 6. Mag. 1. Brandsbury. — Brilliant train, blue. 

 1839. 



From To From To 



24. Draco 11. 



0. Aquila 7. 



0. Auriga 2. 



4. Bootes......... 24. 



0. Camelop 2. 



4. Can. Ven 5. 



19. Cassiop 1. 



3. Cepheus 0. 



8. Cor. Bor 6. 



6. Cygnus 3. 



1. Delphin 1. 



3. Hercules 14. 



9. Lyra 8. 



1. Ophiuch 10. 



5. Perseus 3. 



0. Sagitta 2. 



1. Serpens 2. 



24. Urs. Maj. ... 22. 



25. Urs. Min. ... 11. 

 0. Virgo 2. 



Total ] 37 Jt'om, 136 to. In one instance the place where 

 the phaenomena appeared, and in two instances the place 

 where the phaenomena disappeared, was not noted. 



