306 Synonymy of some North American Orchidacea. 
* You have probably seen, in the Canton papers, that on the 
5th of December, 1838, we had a merry exhibition of meteors. 
T'wo observers counted a hundred and sixty in one hour from 8} 
10-935 PoMoO* ; 
[ Note.— The observations above recorded, (which are perhaps 
the first ever systematically made at this epoch in that part of the 
globe,) serve to confirm the position, that about the 10th of Au- 
gust, for two or three millions of miles at least, the earth traver- 
ses a region abounding with small planetary or nebulous bodies, 
which, when rendered luminous by their rapid passage through 
our atmosphere, we call shooting stars. The observers seem not 
to have endeavored to determine very closely the point of the 
heavens from which the meteors appeared to diverge ; they refer 
it to Cassiopeia or its vicinity, whichcannot be far from that part 
of Perseus in which the observations made in this country fixed 
the radiant, (this Jour. Vol. xxxvu, p. 328.) Regarding the whole 
number of meteors visible at Canton at this time, we can make 
no definite estimate, since we are not informed whether the posi- 
tions of the two observers were such as to secure the greatest 
possible amount. The time of the night at which the meteors 
were most numerous, appears to agree with our previous approx 
mate determinations. . E. C. H.) 
_ New Haven, Feb. 5, 1840. 
Anr. XIl—Remarks chiefly on the Synonymy of several North 
American Plants of the Orchis Tribe ; by Asa Gray, M. D. 
THERE are comparatively very few representatives of the re- 
markable family of Orchidaceous plants in. the. United States. 
The Epiphytic forms, now the pride of conservatories, embracing 
many of the most bizarre as well as splendid productions of the 
vegetable kingdom, belong to tropical climes. Many species ap- 
proach the southern borders of the United States, but only one 
(Epidendrum Magnolia) is found within its limits. Linneus 
described only fourteen species of Epidendrum in the first edition 
of the Species Plantarum, (1753.) _ Now, perhaps fourteen hun- 
. These meteoric observations, as well as many others made about that ine 
this country and in England, may be found in this Journal, Vol. xxxv, P- ¥0"? 
and Vol. xxxv1, p. 355 . 
