386 Meteoric Shower of November, 1837. 
quarter before three, when it became perfectly clear, and remained 
so until half past four. At twenty three minutes before five, the 
sky had become so cloudy as to prevent further observations. In 
the clear interval they counted 74 meteors. ‘The greatest number 
were seen in the southeast, and the least in the northwest ; 29 being 
seen in the southeast, 23 in the northeast, 17 in the southwest, and 
11 in the northwest. 
It is granted that shooting stars occur in greater or less number at 
all seasons of the year, and that they are usually frequent in every 
clear night in the autumnal months; and before we are authorized 
to infer any remarkable exhibition of them on the morning of the 
13th of November of the present year, it is necessary to compare the 
phenomena as observed on that morning with such as were observed 
on the mornings preceding and following that. 
For many days before and since the 13th, Messrs. Herrick and 
Haile have watched together in the open air, commencing usually 
as early as 4 0’clock. Many shooting stars have been seen on every 
favorable morning. ‘The greatest number seen in a single hour by 
the two observers, directing their attention different ways, was 32. 
There was then no moonlight; and the hour was at that period of 
the night usually most productive of shooting stars. On Saturday 
morning, November 11th, in the presence of the moon, then ap- 
re the full, the same observers saw but four in a half an 
hour. The night preceding the 12th was rainy; but several of 
my young friends, determined to let no opportunity escape them to 
collect important facts on this interesting subject, sat up all night 
with the hope that they might at least catch a glimpse of the 
stars. 
But the following observations of Mr. E. Fitch, of the Senior 
class in Yale College, supply us with very useful materials for ma- 
king the comparison in question. I give them in his own words, 
“The object of these observations was simply to determine, as 
far as circumstances would permit, how the meteors of the 13th of 
November compare with those of other mornings. Having, at the 
commencement of my observations, Oct. 16th, ascertained that the 
meteors diverged from the constellation Gemini, I directed my at- 
tention towards this point of the heavens, extending ‘the field of 
view to thirty or forty degrees in every direction from this constel- 
lation. The following is the result of my observations. 
