. | * - 
Miscellanies. . 203 
_ Mr. Herrick and two of his friends were on the look-out on the evening 
‘of the 13th, from 6h. to 6h. 30m., in which time they saw ten shooting 
stars ; but on the morning of the 14th, from 3h. 15m. to 4h. 15m., he saw 
(watching alone) only jive. These, however, emanated from the usual 
point in the constellation Leo, and moved with extreme velocity. = 
Dr. Parker, then on his return from Canton, on board of ship in the At- 
lantic, observed the heavens frequently during this period, with particular 
reference to this phenomenon. The sky was favora ble, but he saw no- _ 
signs of a meteoric shower. * 
The foregoing facts induce us to believe that this remarkable visitation 
of meteors has passed by, after a recurrence for ten or eleven successive 
years. We have indeed no records of it before the year 1830; but sup- 
posing that the extraordinary exhibition of 1833 was the middle of the 
whole series, when the phenomenon reached its maximum, and knowing 
as we do, that from this time it rapidly declined until 1838, after which 
it ceased altogether; we have reason to infer that it commenced the same 
number of years before 1833, namely, in 1828, although it did not arrest 
attention, so far as we have learned, until 1830. 
s 1799 was the maximum of its previous return, we might infer that 
the cycle is thirty four years; but, on the supposition that the phenomenon 
arises from a conjunction of a nebulous body with the earth, near the node 
of that body, the intervals of such conjunctions may be very various, like 
the transits of Venus; and hence ages may pass before the return of an- 
other period of the meteoric showers of November, like that which we 
have seen. That such a termination of the present period is entirely in 
accordance with the expectations entertained by me from the first, will be 
seen by reference to my papers on this subject, in the different volumes of 
this Journal. Denison OLMSTED. 
Yale College, Dec. 31, 1840. 
6. Meteoric Observations in October and December, 1840.—As 
there was some expectation that an unusual frequency of meteors 
might be detected in the early part of October, I watched a while on 
the mornings of the 7th and 8th, between 4 and 5 A. M., but saw no- 
thing uncommon, the number of meteors noted being at the rate of 12 
an hour, (for one observer.) The sky was cloudy on the 9th and 10th. 
On the evening of the 6th of December, 1840, a snow storm pre- 
vented all observation for shooting stars. The nights of the 4th and 
5th were also entirely overcast. The evening of the 7th was clear, 
but the moon was nearly full. Three observers watched from 6h, to 
7h. P. M., and only one meteor was seen. The evenings of the Sth 
and 9th were too cloudy for observation. On the 10th, which was 
clear, I watched from 5h. 55m. to 6h. 10m. P. M., and saw but a sin- 
gle meteor. It seems probable, then, that the meteors of December 
6th-7th, have this year failed. B.C. H 
