25 



declination 44J degrees, neai- the small star Chi Andro- 

 medse. Three of the remaining five had their radiant point 

 in the constellation Cassiopeia. 



The average brightness of the meteors was equal to that 

 of a star between the 3rd and 4th magnitudes ; many, how- 

 ever, were equal to stars of the 1st magnitude, and several 

 of the finest exceeded the planets Jupiter and Venus when 

 in their positions of maximum brilliancy. The colour for 

 the most part was white ; in many, however, it was yellow 

 or orange, and in several of the brightest it was at first 

 white and then a deep red immediately before extinction. 



Most of the brighter meteors left luminous trains, but 

 these seldom remained visible for more than a few seconds. 



The apparent velocity of movement was decidedly less 

 than that of the 13th of November meteors. 



The paths of many of the meteors were more or less 

 curved, and many of them formed curves of double cur- 

 vature. 



It was observed that the radiant point appeared to move 

 to the eastward during the progress of the shower, so that 

 the mean position, from the observations made up to 

 8h. 34m,, was about 3 degrees to the west of the position 

 derived from the observations made afterwards. 



The mean position of the radiant point, as given above, 

 shows that the course of the stream coincides almost exactly 

 with the orbit of Biela's comet. 



3. — By Alfred Brothers, F.RA.S. 

 The sky at Wilmslow appears to have been less clouded 

 than at Cheetham Hill, and I may therefore have had a 

 better view of the display than Mr. Baxendell. From about 

 5.50 to 8.30 there was very little cloud, and during that 

 time the meteors were falling very nearly at the same rate. 

 There was no difficulty in determining the radiant point — 

 7 Andromedse being about the centre. 



