298 Mr. J. Glaisher on the Meteor which appeared 



diffused liglit, which disappeared altogether in the course of two 

 minutes. The meteor appeared to me to be stationary after it 

 had shot out into the bar, until it had faded into the luminous 

 cloud, which I fancied had a slow motion towards the east.'' 



From this account the azimuth of the meteor was about 30° 

 E. of N., and altitude about 30°. 



XIII. Sidmouth. From the Philosophical Magazine for the 

 month of September 1853, by H. N. Smith. 



"As I was returning home about 12 minutes past 9 p.m. on 

 Thursday the 13th instant, I was startled by seeing the road 

 suddenly illuminated by some brilliant light behind me. Turn- 

 ing instantly I saw a bright body in the sky, due north, I think, 

 half-way between the pole star and the horizon, the constellation 

 Cassiopeia being to the east of it. The meteor rapidly spread 

 into a horizontal bar about 7j degrees long and scarcely one in 

 width, the centre and extremities of a beautiful pale green — two 

 points between bright yellow shading into a green on either side ; 

 the centre became paler, as though a separation were taking 

 place, and gradually the meteor lost its brilliancy and defined 

 form, becoming more like a small luminous cloud which slowly 

 faded from my sight. The meteor appeared stationary, and was 

 visible for 3 minutes, but the intense light lasted scarcely 30 

 seconds." 



XIV. From Stoke Sub Hamden near Yeovil, Somersetshire. 

 From the Illustrated London News of August 31, 1853, by 

 Eichard Walter, Esq. 



" A meteor of an extraordinary appearance was seen here last 

 night (August 13) at about 9*^ 30™ Greenwich time, to which 

 my attention was directed by a very brilliant flash, as of light- 

 ning ; and immediately turning my eyes to the north, the body 

 of the meteor (if any) had disappeared, having left a brilliant 

 mass of hght about 15 degrees in length. This continued visible 

 for nearly ten minutes, gradually fading ; but (what I consider 

 most remarkable) it resolved into two or more distinct bodies 

 nearly of the apparent magnitude of the planet Saturn, which 

 remained so long visible that I almost doubted if there were not 

 stars in that precise spot which I had not noticed. They, how- 

 ever, became less and less visible, and had disappeared in about 

 ten minutes after. I hope to find that this meteor has been 

 noticed by other observers in distant parts of the world, and its 

 place correctly marked, which may lead to a calculation of its 

 distance, &c." 



XV. From Stoke Sub Hamden near Yeovil, Somersetshire. 

 Richard Walter, Esq., favoured me with the following : — 



"I beg to inform you that the position of the meteor of 

 August 13, pointed out in the diagram of 11. W.j is strictly cor- 



