316 



mind of the spectator intuitively ; namely, that the motion must have 

 been sensibly rectilinear, equable, and parallel to the horizon at 

 Edinburgh. Assuming that the greatest altitude at Edinburgh was 

 15°, and the bearing then N. 63° W. (true), we may calculate that 

 the altitude should have been on this hypothesis, when first seen 

 by Professor Kelland, 11° 47'. — instead of 12° as observed; at 

 explosion, 6° 69' (7° observed), and at its final disappearance 0°47' 

 (instead of 0° 30' observed). Again, at Perth the observed altitude, 

 when first seen, was 3-|-°, and the calculated altitude 5° 3', taking the 

 maximum altitude at 17|^°. The coincidence is, on the whole, re- 

 markable, though it would be rash to push it to an extreme, as an 

 error of some degrees may exist in the assumption of the direction 

 of the meteor's course. Some later observations, received from Mr 

 Curtis at Longford, and a consideration of the effects of perspective 

 at Perth and Edinburgh, incline me to admit that the path might 

 make an angle 3° or 4° greater with the meridian than I have above 

 supposed. These conclusions are independent of the actual distance 

 or parallax of the meteor ; which, as I have said, cannot be deter- 

 mined without further observations, which I should be glad to re- 

 ceive from any quarter, but more particularly from Ireland, and 

 from the centre and NW. of Scotland. If correct, they entitle us 

 to infer that the meteor in question was most probably a body moving 

 in space, in a path little curved, and not revolving round the earth." 



3. Notes on the Purification and Properties of Chloroform. 



By William Gregory, M.D., Professor of Chemistry in the 



University.* 



1. Chloroform has been prepared both from alcohol and from 

 wood-spirit. The latter has been used for the sake of cheapness ; 

 but as it is a mixture of several liquids, all of which do not yield 

 chloroform, it gives an impure product, in a proportion which varies 

 much, but is always below that obtained from alcohol. There is 



* Although I am alone responsible for the opinions contained in this paper, 

 it is my duty to state, that all the experiments and observations mentioned in 

 it have been made by me in concert with my able assistant, Mr Alexander 

 Kemp, of whose ingenuity and accuracy I have had constant opportunities of 

 judging. 



