A CATALOGUE OF OBSERVATIONS OF LUMINOUS METEORS. 185 

Sirius, about 7" p.m., but was scarcely noticed time enough to be fairly seen. 
It seemed fully as brilliant as Jupiter, and of a greenish light. 
1838. Oct. 15.—About 8" 35™, or 40™ p.., the sky being for the most part 
covered with low dark dense clouds, driving with a strong wind, with an ob- 
vious degree of electrical light between tiem, in a part of the sky somewhat 
less obscured, and where several stars were plainly shining, a bluish light be- 
- gan to appear, which in two or three seconds became very brilliant, as much 
- 80 as one-quarter or one-third of the full moon, and faded away again in about 
the same time. The luminous body itself was invisible behind a cloud, and 
nothing was seen but the reflexion. This exactly resembled distant light- 
ning, but was less transient. 
1838. Dec. 7.—A great number of falling stars were observed between 
6° and 7*%. In about half an hour forty were counted, sometimes by one, 
sometimes two, sometimes three observers, two at a medium. They were of 
all magnitudes up to the first: the larger dissolved into a train of light, but 
left no train [I presume this means no streak] behind them; the S. and W. 
quarters were chiefly observed, but their prevalence seemed to be universal : 
they all fell in nearly a vertical direction, but those in the N.W. and S.E. 
quarters inclined towards the S.W. The colour of the more conspicuous ones 
seemed to verge towards orange. Their courses were of no great length. 
There was at the same time a pale auroral light along the N. horizon from 
N.W. to N.E., apparently equally extended on each side of the true meridian. 
The meteors were not watched after 7°, but about 11", upon looking out again, 
I saw one, the only one in several minutes, in the S.W.; but it had no longer a 
vertical direction, its course pointing now to the N.W. (South Herefordshire.) 
(For an account of this pheenomenon as observed by Mr. Maverly at Gos- 
port, see ‘ Proceedings of the Meteorological Society during the Session 
1838-39,’ p. 9.) 
[ This shower of stars is not noticed by M. Coulvier-Gravier in his ‘ Etoiles 
Filantes.’ ] 
1840. June 30.—About 10" 30", a beautiful falling star was seen in the S., 
nearly in the meridian, having a long straight course somewhat inclined to 
the E. Its commencement was small; it gradually attained considerable 
splendour, and after a period of obscuration, produced perhaps by a thin 
cloud, it attained the magnitude of Jupiter in quadrature before it disap- 
peared. Its colour was orange. Streamers of the aurora borealis had pre- 
viously been noticed, extending from N.E. towards S.W. 
1841. Aug. 12.—In the early part of the night, from about 9" to 103%, 
many falling stars were seen. Being engaged myself with the telescope, I 
saw but very few; but two or three persons in the company were frequently 
exclaiming that they perceived them. I should imagine that there must have 
been three or four times the average number. I did not then recollect, what 
has since occurred to me, that the smaller periodical shower is about this 
time. 
1841. Aug. 13.—On ooking out of my window between 10° and 11", I 
saw a large falling star, which induced me to go out to examine whether there 
was any repetition of the phenomenon of last night ; I saw however nothing 
in the course of several minutes. 
1841. Nov. 8.—The night seemed remarkably free from shooting stars. I 
was abroad from 6" to 6" 15™, and from 9" 30™ to 9" 55™, without noticing 
one. (South Herefordshire.) 
1841. Nov.9.—There appears to have been a considerable meteor this morn- 
ing, from the following extract from a note from Miss H. (South Hereford- 
shire):—‘ Last Tuesday morning, before 5 o’clock, one of our workmen saw 
a¥iph> Bey 
