On Meteoric Showers in August, 357 
I have not been able to find the papers which ‘contain the obser- 
vations made at Cincinnati. 
(6.) Mr. Luke Howard, in a meteorological table in Thomson's 
Annals of Philosophy, Sept. 1813, p. 240, reports, “1813, Au- 
gust 11. A Stratus after sunset, with Cirrostratus remaining above. 
Small scintillant meteors now appeared, falling almost “directly 
down, and seeming to originate very low in the atmosphere.” As 
Mr. Howard, in his journal published in the Annals, rarely notices 
these meteors, it is probable that if they had not been on this occa- 
sion, uncommonly numerous, they would not have been mentioned. 
.) For the following additional paragraph concerning the me- 
teoric display seen at Breslau, on the night of August 10, 1823, I 
am indebted to Prof. Elias Loomis, of Hudson, Ohio, whose library 
contains a copy of Brandes’s work on shooting stars. 
“This evening was so still, the airso mild, and the heavens, though not en- 
tirely free from clouds, so rich in shooting stars, that even travelers, who felt no 
particular interest in these terest had — suite attracted by the nu- 
merous and large fiery meteors.” p. 9. 
‘The above shows plainly that on this occasion the meteors were 
much more than usually abundant and brilliant. It is interesting to 
note that on the evening of the 8th next previous, the number seen 
at Breslau was above the average. No observations are given of 
the evening of the 9th, which may have been cloudy. 
(8.) The meteoric shower of last August (1837) was more splen- 
did than I before supposed. From a gentleman of this city who 
was abroad very early on the morning of the 10th, I learn that at 
about 3 A. M. he saw within ten minutes, in an eastern region of 
the sky, which comprehended not more than a fourth part of the 
hemisphere, at least fifty shooting stars. Many left brilliant trains, 
and three were often visible at once. 
On the night of August 10, 1837, there was also an unusual dis- 
play of meteors, but invisible here, as our sky during that night was 
entirely overcast. By permission of Professor Silliman, I copy the 
following from a recent letter to him, written by Mr. Davis B. 
Lawler, of Cincinnati, Ohio. 
“On the night of the 10th of August last (1837), being at Springfield, in this 
State, about 70 miles N. N.E. of this city, sitting at the front of the hotel there 
in the evening with some — between the hours of Sand 9 P. M. we were 
all struck with the uncommon number and brilliancy of the meteors or falling 
stars, which made their appearance and commanded our attention without Bree 
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Vou. XXXITI.—No. 2 
