208 Miscellanies. 



" This is precisely that distribution of temperature over time which ought 

 under such circumstances to give rise to well defined and intense waves 

 of heat and cold ; and I have little doubt therefore that this is the true 

 explanation of your phenomenon. 



" I should observe, that in the recorded observations of the Catherines 

 burg observatory, the temperatures are observed two-hourly, from eight, 

 A. M. to ten P. M., and not at night. The mean monthly temperatures 

 are thence concluded by a formula which I am not very w r ell satisfied 

 with ; but the error, if any, so introduced, must be far too trifling to affect 

 this argument The works whence the above data are obtained, are 

 'Observations Meteorologiques et Magnetiques faites dans Vinterieur de 

 V Empire de Ilussie,' and ' Annuaire Magnetique et Meteorohgique du 

 Corps des Ingcnieurs des Mines de Russze,' works which we owe to the 

 munificence of the Russian government, and which it is satisfactory to 

 find thus early affording proofs of utility to science in explaining what 

 certainly might be regarded as a somewhat puzzling phenomenon, as it is 

 one highly worthy of being further studied and being made the subject 

 of exact thermometric researches on the spot, and wherever else any 

 thing similar occurs." — Lond. Ed. and Dub. Phil Mag. for Nov. 1842. 



6. Further observations on the Meteors of August 10, 1842. — Such par- 

 tial observations as the weather at this place permitted, were published in 

 the last number of this Journal, (Vol. xliii, p. 377,) from which it was 

 confidently inferred that the meteoric display of the tenth of August re- 

 curred the present year with undiminished numbers. Various European 

 observations which have reached us, confirm the justness of this conclu- 



sion. 



e: 



At Vienna, according to a letter from Mr. C. J. Littrow, (published in 

 the Literary Age, Vol. I, p. 22, Dec. 14, 1842,) there were observed by 

 this astronomer and his assistants, on the night of the 10th of August 

 last, seven hundred and seventy-nine shooting stars. The number of ob- 

 servers is not mentioned. 



The following information has been obligingly communicated to me 

 by M. Quetelet of Brussels. 



At Parma, in Italy, observations were made by M. Colla. Aug. 9, 



from 9h. 3m. to 15h. 34m., 252 shooting stars were noted; on the 10th, 



from 8h. 36m. to 15h. 20m., 490 were seen. The number of observers 

 is not stated. 



The following table contains the results of the two nights taken 



together. 



From 8b. 36m. to 9, 3 meteors. 



M » " 10, . . . 37 



" 10 "11, ... 96 



ii 



t( 



11 "12, ... 84 " 



