ASTRONOMY AND METEOROLOGY. 347 



* 



ing through Cassiopea was green and red, scintillating like Sirius, 

 and equal to a third magnitude star. In the case of a meteor 

 leaving a train, the nucleus was generally noticed to pass beyond 

 the end of the train. 



The most curious appearances in the late shower were, — 1st, 

 the description of curves ; 2d, the passing of the nucleus beyond 

 the end of the train (this is perhaps an optical delusion) ; 3d, the 

 nndiminished brilliancy of the nucleus before its sudden extinc- 

 tion ; 4th, the fact that the intensity of the shower still continues 

 to decrease each year; and, 5th, the apparent change in the posi- 

 tion of the radiant point on successive nights. This however, is 

 possibly an error, arising from an insufBcient number of observa- 

 tions ; but it was suspected by Dr. Twining, in America, many 

 3'ears ago. In fact, he found the radiant point on ten successive 

 niglits in the great August shower of 1863, and so far from agree- 

 ing, these points, on being joined in order, formed a regular 

 curve. 



November SJioicer. — On Nov. 14th, the time of the maximum 

 frequency of the meteors was about 5 hours, when they fell at 

 tlie rate of about 2,500 per hour. The radiant point was quite 

 well defined during the latter end of the shower, and was found 

 bv estimation to be about 149° in rio-ht ascension, and 22 minutes 

 30 seconds in declination. The trains were unusually brilliant, 

 presenting the various shades of green, orange, blue, and red, 

 and remained visible for an unusual length of time. Frequently 

 as many as 5 could be seen at once, presenting an appearance, 

 when nearly dissipated, of light cirrus clouds. The shower com- 

 menced several hours before it was expected, as it was predicted 

 last year that it would be seen in 1868 in the Pacific Ocean only. 

 For a full account of this shower, as seen in the Northern, Mid- 

 dle, and Western States, and in Canada, the reader is referred to 

 the '* American Journal of Science " for Jan. 1869. 



ATLANTIC STORMS REACHING THE MEDITERRANEAN. 



M. Matteucci, " Comptes Rendus," May, 1868, from observ^a- 

 tions made for two years on the propagation of tempests from the 

 Atlantic Ocean to the coast of Italy, gives his results in a tabular 

 form, from which it appears that out of 118 tempests on the west 

 coast of Great Britain, with a fall in the barometer of 15 to 20 

 millimetres, and sometimes in winter of 28 to 33 millinfttres, only 

 49 reached the Italian shores. In October, November, and De- 

 cember this propagation was much more extensive than in the 

 other months ; out of 29 all but 6 were severely felt in the Medi- 

 terranean. In April, May, June, July, August, and September, 

 of 50 only 12 reached Italy ; in January, February, and March, 

 out of 39, 14 extended to the Mediterranean. 



