236 REPORT—1852. 
nessed by myself and my family on the morning of the 4th of September, 
1850. 
“JT was then residing at the Vicarage, South Mimms, Middlesex, in a 
situation peculiarly favourable for astronomical observation. 
“T had been engaged for several consecutive days in observing the planet 
Mercury during his approach to the sun; partly to test the accuracy of my 
power of observation by the calculations of the Nautical Almanack, but 
chiefly to remark how nearly I could trace the planet in his course to the sun, 
before he should be wholly lost in his rays. 
“For this purpose I used the most careful adjustments my instrument was 
capable of, and continued my observations without noticing anything peculiar. 
“When, however, on the morning of the 4th of September I was preparing 
my equatoreal before it was fixed on the planet, I observed, passing through 
the field of view, in a continuous stream, a great number of luminous bodies ; 
‘and I cannot more correctly describe the whole appearance, than by employ- 
ing the same language which I used when I communicated the circumstance 
to the Royal Astronomical Society, in the Monthly Notices of Dec. 13, 1850, 
and Dec. 12th, 1851. 
“ When I first saw them I was filled with surprise, and endeavoured to ac- 
count for the strange appearance by supposing that they were bodies floating 
in the atmosphere, such as the seeds of plants, as we are accustomed to wit- 
ness them in the open country about this season; but nothing was visible to 
the naked eye. 
“ The sky was perfectly cloudless ; and so serene was the atmosphere, that ~ 
there was not a breath of wind through the day, even so much as to cause 
any perceptible tremor of the instrument; and I subjected the luminous 
bodies to examination by all the eye-pieces and coloured glasses that were 
needful; but they bore every such examination just as the planets Mercury 
and Venus did, both of which were frequently looked at by me, for the pur- 
pose of comparison, during the day ; so that it was impossible I could resist 
the conclusion (much as I was early disposed to hesitate) that they were real 
celestial bodies moving in an orbit of their own, and far removed beyond the 
limits of our atmosphere. 
“ They continued passing, often in inconceivable numbers, from 3 past 9 
A.M., when I first saw them, almost without intermission, till about 5 past 3 
P.M., when they became fewer, passed at longer intervals, and then finally 
ceased. 
“‘ The bodies were all perfectly round, with about the brightness of Venus, 
as seen in the same field of view with them; and their light was white, or 
with a slight tinge of blue; and they appeared self-/uminous, as though they 
did not cross the sun’s disc; yet when seen near him they did not change 
their shape, or diminish in brightness. 
“They passed with different velocities, some slowly, and others with great 
rapidity ; and they were very various in size, some having a diameter, as nearly 
as I could estimate, about 2”, while others were approaching to 20". 
‘<I tried various powers upon them, and used both direct and diagonal eye- 
pieces; but with every one I employed they showed the same appearance, 
being as sharply defined as the planet Jupiter, without haze or spot, or in- 
equality of brightness. 
“T naturally anticipated some such appearance at night, but after > past 3 
I saw nothing peculiar, though I waited till 11 p.m. ; but have since been in- 
formed that at 3 past 11 (it is believed on the same night) a meteor of amazing 
brilliance and size, and passing in the same direction and about the same al- 
titude, was observed by Mr. Ballan of Wrotham Park, in the immediate 
neighbourhood of South Mimms. 

