On the Meteors of 13th November, 1833. 331 



In addition to these specific locations given above we observe, 

 that Mr. V. H. Barber at Frederick, Md. lat. 39° 24', long. 77° 22', 

 describes the radiant as being at half past 5 o'clock, A. M. in the 

 " neck of the Lion in the constellation Leo-" A writer, S., in the 

 Christian Register of Jan. 25th, a paper published at Boston, says 

 that from the place where he stood it " appeared to be in the con- 

 stellation Lion's heart, near Regulus," at a few minutes before 5, A* 

 M. By different observers at Providence, R- L, West Point, N. Y., 

 and in the western parts of Pennsylvania, places not widely differing 

 in latitude, but distant in longitude 8° or 9°, the radiant was describ- 

 ed as being within the bend of the sickle and near its centre, — that 

 is, near Dec. 23° A. R. 148°- 



The first observation in the table— that of Mr- Strong, was made 

 at Buffalo, as already mentioned ; it consists of an altitude taken with a 

 quadrant of tin, constructed for the purpose, and an azimuth which was 

 fixed and estimated by means of terrestrial objects in its range. 

 There is reason to confide in its general accuracy. The true zenith 

 distance, stated in his letter at 30°, Mr. Strong remarks may have 

 been a few minutes less: the azimuth was estimated by judgment at 

 S. 35° E ; the time being a quarter before six o'clock. 



Mr. Merrick placed the radiant twice among the stars, with the in- 

 terval of an hour between the two locations. He did not mark them 

 upon a globe at the time; yet a distinct recollection enables him to 

 identify both — not supposing either, however, to be exact : Mr. M. 

 remarks, — -"The latter point (23£° N. dec.) I think you may de- 

 pend upon as being very near correct; the former is rather more 

 doubtful. I observed only the stars near which the point of radiation 

 appeared to be and it is by referring to them that I have fixed the pointy 

 as above." The observation made by Mr. M. acquaints us with an 

 anomalous fact (respecting which other authorities leave no doubt) that 

 at Middletown there was a decided motion of the radiant in a direc- 

 tion a little E. of N. Mr. Olmsted's, Riddel's and Aikin's locations 

 were made by means of stars, and were marked upon a globe or a 

 map at the time. The observation following is derived from the data 

 furnished by Prof. Thomson and printed at page 138 of this vol. 

 From the nature of the data, viz. the general course of the meteor* 

 and the angle of their descent, it is uncertain whether Prof. Thom- 

 son, intended to be understood as speaking with precision ; — yet so 

 much as this is certain, that if the declination had not varied north- 

 ward considerably, when compared with the same at New Haves, 



Vol. XXVL— No. 2. 43 



