and ont Shooting Stars in general. — 225 
meteor was seen by Messrs J. and L. Chandler, to move nearly 
parallel with the horizon, at an elevation of three degrees, accord- 
ing to one, and of four degrees, according to the other. It was 
seen in the N. E. quartet, but the precise direction could not be 
given, as the estimate was made when they had no opportunity 
of returning to the spot of observation. 'The preceding obser- 
vations are the most precise of any I have been able to obtain. 
hey were all made by the aid of instruments, and the chief 
error. therefore to be apprehended, is that arising from the diffi- 
culty of exactly remembering the apparent position of the me- 
teor. Itis believed, however, that in the above observations, this 
error is small, In this first comparison, I neglect entirely such 
observations as give mere estimates of elevation by the eye; for 
it is a remarkable fact, that almost every one over-estimates an- 
gular elevation near the horizon. Ihave made the computation 
from the above data, and find the perpendicular elevation of be- 
ginning 28.5 miles. The place where it then stood in the ze- 
nith was in Lycoming. county, Penn., Lat. 41° 16’, Long. 1° 
west from Washington. At its explosion, its height was 32.1 
miles, and the place where it then stood in the- zenith was in 
Upper Canada, Lat. 44° 7’, Long. 2° west. At an intermediate 
point, its height was 34.8 miles, and it was then vertical over 
Monroe county, N. Y., Lat. 43° 0’, Long. 0° 46’ west 
length of path then was 218 miles, and its mean course N. 133° 
W., passing vertically over Rochester in the State of New York. 
In this computation I have aimed to make the positive equal to 
the negative errors, and the sum of the errors, ae their 
signs, aminimum. The beginning, as I have here assigned it, 
rests upon the observations at Clinton, . Hudson, rat Aurora. © It 
appears not to have been seen so early in its course either at 
Hanover, Buffalo, or Ann Arbor. - The middle point of its path, 
near Rochester, appears to have been observed at all the stations. 
The observations at Hudson and Aurora having been made near 
each ‘other, I consider as one observation, and take their mean. 
It is impossible perfectly to satisfy the observations. —'The result 
Thave above given, makes the errors of the observations as fol- 
lows: Hanover + 3° 45’; Clinton — 2° 54’; Buffalo—2’; Hud- 
son — 5’; Ann Arbor— aw. The positive ae equal to the nega- 
tive errors, and I am unable to assign the meteor a position which 
shall Guiniets the sum of the errors. The errors at Buffalo, Hud- 
Vor. XXXV.—No. 2. 2 
