4 
tee” NS 
Re gene 
eee ey ee NER Cn RAE eS) Oe SO SE My ET Se ey ep Ry 
Miscellaneous Intelligence. ; 287 
was about a degree vertically above the cluster in the sword-handle 
of Perseus, and many of the others were generally conformable to that 
vicinit 
On the same a Prof. Twining observed sixteen meteors, from 
3" 8™ to 3b 40m 
On the night of ee 9th, the place of the radiant, or centre of the 
area in which the visible paths of the meteors traced back would inter- 
sect, was in my judgment about R. 5°, North decl. 56°. 
The position of this point among the stars seems to have undergone 
no very certain change since 1837 and 1838, before which it was not so 
well a. ed. 
t midnight onward we saw on the first night of observa- 
tion, "(ath), a one light hardly a degree high, along the northern hori- 
on, which we supposed might be e the Aurora Borealis. At 1 a. m. this 
spicuous, yet ill defined, appearing in position and extent as at this 
period in former years. 
A faint illumination of the Northern horizon was also observed on the 
night of the 10th, but on account of clouds its character could not be 
certainly determined. 
ew Haven, ‘heats, 1855. 
V. MisceLtnaneous INTELLIGENCE. 
1. The Smithsonian Institution.—Note.—lIn our article upon this 
Institution, in the July number of the Journal, on p. 10, we find that 
of action of the Hon. J. A. Pearce, of the U. 8. Senate ;—having been 
misled by placing a reliance on the correctness of certain statements in 
‘Mr. Meacham’s Report,” (p. 258,) which, it appears, we ought not to 
have done. 
It certainly involves no unfavorable pepe ie a peteap: stee 
change his mind on further experience, an change 
Stances, And, assuming the full i ta of “Mr. fecheasia 
any other then proposed, and afterwards, as a Regent, cordially sustain 
the plan of operations actually adopted : and 2nd, that t — so 
sey proved that be not understand the law as it passed to pre- 
d, however, that Mr. oe ce steadily supported the cto 
ee was Sinalie adopted from the time of its adoption to the prese 
——a plan which commie the library idea with the scheme of Bientiie 
inquiry and investigatio 
Mr. Meacham’s sia in giving (p. 257) first a summary o 
Choate’s arguments for the amendments introduced by him into wa bill 
_ Teported by Mr, Tappan, and immediately following this by the state- 
that 
*“ Mr, Pearce also advocated the views of Mr. Choate ;” and 
