— 
A CATALOGUE OF OBSERVATIONS OF LUMINOUS METEORS. 43 
altitude of 30° or 35°, having all the appearance of a disc of silver, and the 
same transpired (?) when about an equal number of degrees above the western 
horizon. On these days an impalpable dust fell and covered all things. Not 
a cloud was to be seen, but this uniform and general haze mantled everything 
day and night,—the moon and some stars of the first magnitude only being 
visible at night. Barometer slightly lower, dew-point steady, electricity 
abundant, and a gentle breeze chiefly from the west. The days felt oppressive, 
and notwithstanding that the haze intercepted the full play of the solar rays, 
* the black bulb thermometer reached 120° on the 30th.’” . 
No. 13.—Extract from a note to Prof. Powell from the Rev. J. Slatter, dated 
Rose-hill, August 7, 1849. 
“ The observation would seem to favour Sir J. Lubbock’s theory of meteors 
shining by reflexion, but for a concomitant circumstance ; just before it ex- 
pired it threw off as it were some bright particles like the snuff of a candle, 
which fell slowly downwards beside it, and were not extinguished till they had 
fallen below the point at which the meteor ceased ae 
to be visible: thus, @ ceased at line 1, 6 at line 2. a * 
No other impression I think could be left on any ‘lille Maas 
observer's mind, but that it was matter in a high Oa ksa es 
state of incandescence. . 
“Tt was to appearance five or six times the size of Vega, and intensely bright. 
I should think from the hour and the fineness of the evening, it will have 
been seen by other observers. It had much the appearance of a fine ball 
from a Roman candle.” 
No. 14.—Extract from Mr. Lowe’s communication to Prof. Powell. 
“ Aug. 8, 1849, 108 16™. A splendid me- 
teor, more than twice the size of a first mag. __—__ _-—-_——_ ___ 
_ nitude star, of a conical shape, moved very ~~~ “=> = See Saar) 
slowly horizontally from  Bootis, passing 
1° below Arcturus with numerous stars left behind; here it vanished, but in 
about 1° reappeared about 14° farther on,-it having moved onwards in the 
same tract, but invisible until it had gone over 14° in space; it remained 
_ visible about 5*** altogether independent of the second of time it was invisible. 
After its second reappearance it was not so brilliant as when first noticed ; 
indeed it had the appearance of moving rapidly from us; and if we suppose 
it was moving nearly directly away from us, it would have the appearance of 
gliding slowly amongst the stars. At the second apparition it made a con- 
tinuation of its former track 8° in length; its colour was orange-red.—E. J. L.” 
~ No. 15.—Note from Dr. Hopkins of Birmingham :— 
“On Monday, Feb. 15, 1830, walking from Edgbaston to Birmingham, I 
| was startled by the appearance of a brilliant light in the sky, and looking up, 
_ for my eyes had been turned to the ground, I perceived a bright mass moving 
‘in a direction from N.E. to 8.W. The size of the body appeared nearly that 
of the full moon. It remained visible about two seconds, moving very rapidly, 
then nearly disappeared for a moment, and after being visible about two 
_ Seconds more, suddenly vanished. It left behind it a marked trail of light, 
which was very distinctly visible for a short time after the disappearance of 
- the mass. It seemed to have rather a waving motion, but this appearance 
was probably owing to the thickness of the fog, which rendered the light 
‘much less brilliant than it would otherwise have been; as it was, the houses 
and other objects were rendered much more distinctly visible than they 

