182 On the Shooting Stars of Aug. 9th and 10th, 1837. 
Canton of Vallais, (Switzerland, ) two observers, in circumstances 
much less favorable, saw 160 per hour. 
The evidence at present before the public is scarcely sufficient 
to decide whether in general the August meteoric shower occurs 
on the night of the 9th or of the 10th of that month ;—the date 
being reckoned according to the time of Western Europe or of the 
United States. During the present period, the night of the 9th 
will probably be found to be nearest the maximum. On leap-year, 
for obvious reasons, the meteoric showers may be expected to 
happen at a date somewhat earlier than on the common years 
The paper on ancient meteoric showers, promised on p. 358, of 
the last volume, will be completed as soon as practicable. It now 
comprises afices instances, viz. Ante C. 25, 29, A. D. 531, 744 
or 747, 764, 901, 902, 935, 1094, 1095, 1096, 1099, 1122, 1202, 
1243. To detertinins the precise dates of all these, according to 
the Gregorian or any other Calendar, requires much time. It ap- 
pears certain, that some centuries since, the April and the August 
meteoric showers occurred at a date several days earlier, and the 
November pesinaphetna 9 nr than they do during the pres- 
ent period. 
Since the preceding was written, I have received from Mr. R. 
-W. Haskins, of Buffalo, (to whom the public are much indebted 
for his frequent communications through the Daily Commercial 
Advertiser of that city, of the earliest French intelligence regard- 
ing meteors, ) his translation of M. Arago’s Report to the Academy 
of Sciences, Oct. 16, 1837, on the meteors of November and of 
The details of the latter there given, in a letter from 
M. Wartmann, of Geneva, do not materially disagree with the . 
facts above stated. 
I have space only for the following particulars. On the a 
of Aug. 9, 1837, two persons on an excursion to Chamonix, saw 
from 9h. 30m. to 10h., more than forty meteors of great brilliancy. 
At Geneva, on the same night, from 9h. to 12h., eighty two me- 
teors were seen. At 10h. they fell rapidly, and seemed to radiate 
from a point between 6 Bootis and « Draconis. ‘Twenty miles 
from Geneva, the meteors were seen in much greater numbers. 
_ New Haven, Conn., March 16, 1838. 
ic 
