— to 1855. 
he. 
A CATALOGUE OF OBSERVATIONS OF LUMINOUS METEORS. 145 
stars and globes. This notice appears to the author important, both as 
regards atmospherical optics, and the relative dependences which may exist 
between particnlar colours and the appearances or modifications of other 
meteorological phenomena, as well as the variations of time according to 
the seasons. 
(1) Colours of shooting stars and globes observed in China from the 7th 
Century 3.c. to the 17th a.p. 
(Comptes Rendus, vol. xliii., Dec. 15, 1856.) 
Wigs B/./8/8 
Colour. e Sel ct % | & 3 | | é 
| eel Se cel lk Ol ee Se to te hs ‘s 
BISISISB/ SETS) FP SIS] es] 3] -s 
Sle le (/a/ael4]a][sajalol/alsala 
ED ace peeei sag DM MODACO NOSE ARETE QI ph BOS GT eG es Be [SiG 7} 51 
Whitish red ......) 0} O] OF} 1 1 0; 1 0; 0; 1 1 0 5 
Yellowish red ...| 22 | 27 | 31 | 25 | 24 | 30} 84 | 53 | 48 | 80 | 64 | 37 | 525 
Yellow ..... Bigk apts 0; O; O}; 1] OF} OF} OF 2] OF 1 2; 0 6 
Whitish yellow...} 0} 2] 0} 1] ©} O} 1] OF] OF} OF 1] O 5 
Reddish yellow.... 2} 4] 4] O] 3) 4] 5) 3] 3) 7] 5] 2] 42 
SNUCT cece oseccnacess 1; 0; O} O} O} OF} 1) O} 1 1 0; 1 5 
Whitish blue...... 11 | 10 | 12] 14 | 33 | 17 | 35 | 32 | 39 | 49 | 42 | 11 } 305 
Bluish white ...... 1 1 1 7 ae 2) 3 | 2}20) 4) 0} 3] 20 
Reddish blue......| 0 1; 0; O; 3] 1 TP) S00) SI 1; 0}; 1 9 
Blackish blue...) 0} 1 Oo/ 1); 0} OF O; OF} OF O} 1} O 3 
VIBtGY cayepaveccen)| OF OP Dy 24 de} od 2} 3] 4] 2 1 1 18 
WOGANT a. b | Seeces|eeboes|cwscc+|ratocs|irercelteoes wee} 994 
There is also one case of a bluish-red meteor, one of a bluish one, one 
of blue and white, one of yellow and blue, two of whitish, and one of the 
colour of a stork’s feather. Total 1004 shooting stars and globes observed 
in China in the space of 24 centuries. 
In the above table, it appears that the primitive or simple colours are as 
rare as the compound colours are numerous ; such as the yellowish red and 
the whitish blue. This result is contrary to that which we obtain from the 
table of observations made in England, where, out of a total of 1065 coloured 
meteors, 326 are of a pure blue, 151 of a pure yellow, and 129 of a pure red. 
_ It is an important fact, that in the 1004 meteors observed in China during 
so long a period as 24 centuries, we do not find a single indication of a green 
shooting star or globe. This circumstance is the more remarkable, since a 
scientific English observer, Dr. Buist, had already stated in 1849, that the 
finest meteors resembling a star of the first magnitude, which are observed 
in India, are generally of an orange, bluish, or greenish colour. In the 
above table of the 24 centuries of observations in China, the colours orange 
and greenish are entirely wanting. However, in the 1065 meteors observed 
in England, there are 78 of a pure orange colour, and 33 cases of colours 
compounded with orange. Then there are 5 meteors of a pure green, and 8 
cases compounded with green. In the catalogue of M. Coulvier-Gravier, 
of 76 coloured shooting globes, we observe 8 cases of green globes, and 4 of 
globes which broke up into green-coloured fragments. 
; (2) Colours of shooting stars and globes observed in England from 1841 
(From the Comptes Rendus, zdid. Dec, 29, 1856.) 
In paar earinione made in China given in the preceding table; the author 
1857. L 
