118 REPORT—1840. 
to radiate from a point in the heavens near y Leonis. They 
were visible from Mexico to Greenland*. 
239. In 1834, the phenomenon was less indubitably marked, 
for it scarcely appears to have been noticed in Europe; and in 
America, observers were divided as to its amounting to any- 
thing unusual; Prof. Olmsted, who was one of the first to sug- 
gest the periodicity, maintaining that November, 1834, was 
marked like the previous years}, and Prof. Bache denying itf. 
240. The year 1835 must be regarded as a very doubtful one 
for the November meteors. Still it happens, by what must at 
least be regarded as a singular coincidence, that a very large 
meteor was seen in France by M. D’Aubenton, which exploded 
in the department de ]’Ain on the night of the 13th November, 
and probably set fire to a cottage§. Sir John Herschel saw a 
meteor as large as Venus at the Cape of Good Hope on the 
14th, but none on the 13th 
241. The apparition of November, 1836, was better marked. 
The meteors were observed in America§]. M. Arago, by ana- 
lysing various careful observations in France, has shown that, 
if not comparable to the showers of 1832 and 1833, they were 
at least numerically above an average**. They were observed 
in the Oural in lat. 60°++, and their direction was from the 
constellation Leo ff. 
242, It may be doubted whether, in 1837, there was any 
very decided fall of meteors in November; but I refer below to 
the recorded observations§§. The weather was not generally 
very favourable. 
243. November, 1838, was not more prolific. Scarcely any 
notice was taken of the meteors in the Comptes Rendus, and 
the direct testimony of Quetelet, Herschel, and Benzenberg ||||, 
show that the phenomenon was, to say the least, not well 
marked. In America], it was scarcely, if at all, perceptible. 
244, In 1839, IT am not aware that any very marked phe- 
* For 1833. See Silliman, xxv. 354; xxvi. 132; xxix. 376. Poggendorff, 
xxxi. 159; xxxix. 114 (Greenland). 
+ Silliman, xxix. 167. 
t Ibid., xxvii. 335; xxviii. 305; xxix. 383. See also Clarke in Silliman, 
xxx. 869. Poggendorff, xxxiv,. 129. 
§ Comptes Rendus, i. 414. | Ibid., ii. 264. 
q Silliman, xxx. 386. ** Comptes Rendus, iii. 629. 
++ Comptes Rendus, iv.524. }t See also Poggendorff, xxxix. 353; xl. 484. 
§§ Olmsted in‘Silliman, xxxiii. 379; Sir John Herschel, Transactions of the 
Meteorological Society, i. 77; Arago, Comptes Rendus, v. 759; Observations 
at Edinburgh, Philosophical Magazine, Third Series, xii. 85. 
|\| Bulletin de l Acad. de Bruvzelles, 1838, p. 730. 
{| Olmsted in Silliman, xxxv. 368. A brilliant fall was seen at many places 
on the 6th December. See Herrick in Silliman, xxxv. 361; xxxvi. 355. 
