324 Meteoric Observations. 
to our atmosphere, comprehended under the general term of me- 
teors. The appalling spectacle of falling stars, presented on the 
morning of the 13th November, 1833, has confirmed this awak- 
ening interest to the phenomena that are daily taking place in 
our atmosphere. ‘This shower, for such it literally was, seems to 
have been quite unparalleled, if we make allowance for the exag- 
gerated accounts which we read in the poets, of marvels and 
strange lights in the heavens. And what particularly needs no- 
tice, is the vast extent of country to which this sight was offered, 
suggesting the idea that the earth in its revolution, had encroached 
upon a nest of meteors. I have never been able to fall in with 
the opinion, that this shower has -been repeated on the same 
morning in succeeding’ years. . I do not think that the appearances 
noticed on those mornings were of an unusual ‘character, and far 
less that they'can claim any comparison with the exhibition of 
1833. The hypothesis more recently advanced, that there are 
two or three favored seasons of the year, although better supported 
by the facts than the other, Ido not think can yet be maintained. 
My own observations, and the facts mentioned by those who 
have arrived at a different opinion, have led me to the conclusion, 
that meteoric appearances are much more common every night 
than: has been imagined: that, independently of the clearness of 
the atmosphere, no season of the year is especially provided : that 
about the same average number can be. seen every fair night: 
_ that very few appear before midnight, and that much the largest 
a as a ee hours before sunrise. | 
the zeal of observers in different places, many 
more Shicevation are still needed, niade every night in the year, 
and from midnight till morning, befor any satisfactory result can 
be reached. The labor of such observations is painful, and must 
therefore be shared with many. I think, however, that a single 
night’s uninterrupted watch is worth far more than’the same eX- 
tent of observations distributed over several evenings, as it saves 
the necessity of taking an average, which must always be uncer- 
tain: for although, generally speaking, the meteors fall much 
more abundantly in the morning, from four till six, than at an 
earlier hour ; still, the relative proportions for each hour are not 
so accurately fixed, that we may conclude from a single hour's 
observation, the siemeibiy that has fallen during the night. With 
these —- —_ the result <4 ‘some observations that were 
ee 
