104 Kansas Academy of science. 



On the 15th of November, 1859, between 9 and 10 o'clock in the morning, an extra- 

 ordinary meteor was seen in several of the New England States, New York, New Jersey, 

 District of Columbia, and Virginia. The apparent diameter of the head was nearly 

 equal to that of the sun, and it had a train, notwithstanding the bright sunshine, several 

 degrees in length. Its disappearance on the coast of the Atlantic was followed by a se- 

 ries of the most terrific explosions. It is believed to have descended into the water — 

 probably into Delaware Bay. A highly interesting account of this meteor, by Prof. 

 Loomis, may be found in the American Journal of Science and Arts, for January, 1860. 



On February 6th, 1818, one was seen in England at 2 p. m., shining with a light equal 

 to that of the sun. 



On November 12th, 1828, a meteor was seen in the sunshine at Surg, France. 



Humboldt, after describing the great shower of 1799, witnessed by himself and 

 Bonpland, states that "the phenomenon ceased by degrees after 4 o'clock and the bolides 

 and falling stars became less frequent, but we still distinguished some toward the north- 

 east a quarter of an hour after sunrise." 



June 17th, 1779, about midday, the eminent French astronomer Messier saw a great 

 number of black points crossing the sun. Rapidly-moving spots were also seen by Pas- 

 torffon the following dates: October 23d, 1822; July 24th and 25th, 1823; October 

 18th, 1S36; and on several subsequent occasions the same astronomer witnessed similar 

 phenomena. 



Another transit of this kind has been seen quite recently. On the 8th of May, 1865, 

 a small black spot was seen by Coumbary to cross the solar disk. 



Thus we have well-authenticated records of meteors having been seen as bright 

 bodies in bright sunlight, and that they have been seen far beyond our atmosphere as 

 black spots on the sun's disk. 



The November meteors proper from Leo were not very numerous this year. On No- 

 vember 13 no meteors from Leo were seen. Mr. W. S. Franklin watched during the 

 latter part of the night of the 13th, and I the first part. On the 14th, loth and 16th 

 the weather was very pleasant, so Mr. Franklin and myself watched for Leonides from 

 12 o'clock, midnight, until morning, Mr. Franklin watching one part of the sky, and I 

 the other. We recorded at least thirty that could be traced to Leo. 



ON THE PHOSPHORESCENCE OF CHLOROPHANE FROM PIKE'S PEAK. 



BY PROF. Q. H. FAILYER, STATE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE. 



During the summer of 1881, the writer collected fluorite of various colors — white, 

 green, rose and purple — in the Pike's Peak region. 



Having recently had occasion to examine its property of phosphorescence, be found 

 that it exhibited phenomena so unlike what he had anticipated from his knowledge of 

 the phosphorescence of fluorite, that he made a somewhat minute examination of the 

 specimens. It was first observed that when fragments of the Huorite — these fragments 

 being indifferently fine powder or thin pieces an inch across — were dropped upon a 

 metallic plate heated to a temperature considerably below redness, a green light was 

 soon emitted. The green light deepened in tint as the temperature increased, and grad- 

 ually gave place to light of a violet color. This, in turn, became of deeper hue, and at 

 last faded. It is well known that Huorite phosphoresces when heated, that some speci- 

 mens give white light, some green, others violet or purple; and that when brought to a 

 sufficiently high temperature they all lose the power to phosphoresce. But this change 

 of color as the temperature is raised was entirely unexpected, and I have searched the 

 books in vain to find mention of it. The September, 1884, Am. Jour, of Science, contains 



