270 SHOOTING STARS. 



1877, with this comet observed more than iioo years ago, it 

 must be a very old system that perhaps, has kept up a lingering 

 feeble shower through many centuries. 



While making my observations, I always kept a record of the 

 number of meteors observed, and the periods over which the 

 watches extended. The figures amount in the aggregate to 3749 

 meteors, and 386 hours as before stated. Comparing the 

 numbers seen before and after midnight (and deducting 384 

 meteors belonging to one special shower of Ferseids in the early 

 part of August, which cannot fairly be included in any estimates 

 as to the hourly visible numbers on ordinary nights of the year) 

 we have the following figures : — 



246 hours watching, p.m., gave 1,7^7 meteors. 



T40 „ „ a.m., „ 1,608 „ 



These numbers relate to the sphere of vision commanded by one 

 observer only, and from them we may readily deduce the hourly 

 visible number of shooting stars, as below, after making certain 

 deductions for temporary absence, time spent in registering the 

 paths, &c., which I estimate amounted to one sixth of the total 

 periods of observation 5 — 



Number per hour, p.m 8.6 



,, a.m 13. 8 



„ „ a.m. and p.m. ... 10.5 



Thus the horary rate of apparition of these shooting stars is 

 considerably greater after midnight than before it. The minimum 

 is reached soon after sunset 3 the maximum some time before dawn 

 when the relative hourly frequency is in the proportion of 15 to 7, 

 or more than 2 to i. But these figures refer to the last half of 

 the year chiefly. I have done very little work during the first six 

 months, except in April. Comparing the first half with the last 

 half of the year, there is no doubt that meteors are much more 

 numerous during the latter period, but to what extent I cannot 

 say because my observations have not as already mentioned been 



