Meteoric Shower of April 20, 1803. 361 
seemed to fall nearest were apparently as large as a barrel [!] and 
had tails from 12 to 20 feet in length. He judges there was no 
intermission (as to numbers and motion) for two hours, during 
which time the whole hemisphere was illuminated.”— The Bal- 
ance, (Hudson, N. Y.) vol. 2, p. 205, June 28, 1803. 
4. Observations at Wilmington, Del. N. lat. 39° 41’; W. 
lon. 75° 28’-—* On the 16th and I7th [April, 1803] we ‘ok a 
brisk storm with torrents of rain and lightning ; and early in the 
morning of the 20th, electrical meteors were surprisingly numer- 
ous and vivid. Newspaper accounts since inform us that the 
Same phenomena were observed over a great part of the country.” 
—Dr. John Vaughan, in N. Y. Med. Repos. 2d hex. vol. 2, (1805) 
p. 140. 
These are all the accounts of the display which I have been 
able to procure. They give no information concerning the point 
of radiation, or the hour of the greatest abundance. ‘The radiant 
point was doinbtless north of the ecliptic ; and it is perhaps not 
unreasonable to conjecture that it was (as seen in this latitude) 
near the region of the heavens where it appeared to be on the 
morning of the 19th of April, 1839.* 
This meteoric shower appears to be the legitimate successor 
of those which occurred April 4th, (morning of 5th,) A.D. 1095, 
and April 5th, (morning) A. D. 1122, (both of the pie style, 
corresponding nearly to the 11th of the Gregorian.) [I have not 
Succeeded in finding any meteoric shower in April, between 1122 
and 1803, and can not determine whether there has been a regu- 
lar progression in the time of the recurrence of the phenomenon. 
No evidence has come to my irre ag that any such display 
Was seen in April, 1830. 
IL. Observations on shooting stars, on and about April 20, 1839. 
1. New Haven.—On the morning of Friday the 19th, Mr. 
Francis Bradley and myself watched from midnight until 3 
e idea advanced by M. Valz, (Com. Ren. Acad. Sci. 1838, 2d sem. p. 977,) 
ta ls meteoric displays of the same name, in any two successive years, the 
meteors appear to move in contrary Rreenney: is irreconcilable with various obser- 
and it is. quite improbable, viewed 
theoretically, A short time will determine the question. 
25,1095, in Com. Ren. 1836, 2d sem, p. 145, from 
Vol. xxxv1, No. 2.—April-July, 1839. 46 
