4i6 



NA TURE 



[SkptkiMiikr 3, 1896 



nil. lom., of which one only was a Perseid. The shower 

 had evidently become nearly exhausted. 



The following conspicuous meteors were recorded on 

 the several nights of observation, and I give their paths 

 in the hope that they have been observed elsewhere. 



»896. Tin 



Length. Radiant. 



Aug. 



14 



On the whole, I regard the display as one much 

 inferior to many observed in past years. Both as 

 regards the number and brilliancy of the meteors there 

 was nothing striking to record. Had the sky proved 

 clearer on ."Xugust 10, many small meteors would have 

 been visible, which, under the conditions prevailing, were 

 enabled to escape detection ; but making every allowance 

 for this, there is no doubt the shower was not a con- 

 spicuous one. 



As to the displacement of the radiant, which takes 

 place on successive nights, this was indicated from my 

 results on August 6, which gave. 42^+ 56° for the posi- 

 tion, while on August 10 it was 45°+ 57°, and on August 

 12, 46^+ 57^ But my observations this year have not 

 been sufficiently extensive for the full and proper re-in- 

 vestigation of this feature, nor is it required, for no good 

 end is served by the frequent re-observation of a fact 

 already well determined. 



The usual minor showers were visible ; indeed, there 

 appears to be very little doubt that the great majority of 

 meteor radiants are manifested annually without any 

 great change in their visible strength. Certain showers 

 vary more than others, but many of the differences 

 observed are due to the alteration in the conditions 

 under which they are presented from year to year. In 

 1893 there was a strong shower of Cygnids observed 

 contemporaneously with the Perseids, but the former was 

 but slightly seen this year, for I recorded only two of its 

 meteors. I registered meteors from radiants at 31°+ 2o\ 

 28°+ 72", 60 + 48', 331'-!- 70^, 356'+ 5°, which have 

 been noticed in preceding years, and are among the best 

 assured positions of the .\ugust epoch. Feeble showers 

 of this character are extremely numerous, and require 

 long watches before an observer can satisfactorily deter- 

 mine their radiants. .Some of them fall so near together 

 that they cannot be disassociated unless the observations 

 are very numerous and accurate. 



I observed no fireballs during the recent return of 

 Perseids ; but Mr. Blakeley, of Dewsbury, reports that 

 he saw meteors as brilliant as Venus on August 10, at 

 11.40 and 12.16, both Perseids. 



The Rev. S. J. Johnson, of Bridport, writes me that 

 he observed a good many bright meteors this year. One 

 of the finest appeared on August 10, 9h. 50m., travelling 

 from e Cassiopeiic to a point 7' west of /i in the same 



NO. 1 40 1, VOL. 54] 



constellation. Two second magnitude meteors were seen 

 within fifteen seconds of each other at about loh. 6im. 

 on the same night, which were also observed at Bristol. 

 Their heights at beginning were 64 and 65 miles, and at 

 ending 46 and 52 miles respectively. They were both 

 Perseids. 



Mr. Blakeley, of Dewsbury, saw about thirty-five 

 Perseids between iih.and i2h. 30m. on August 10, and the 

 paths seemed to give a sharply-defined radiant at the 

 usual maximum position. 



Mr. S. H. R. Salmon, of Croydon, saw, on August 10, 

 20 meteors (15 Perseids) between 9h. lom. and loh., and 

 18 meteors (16 Perseids) between loh. lom. and iih. 

 The sky was perfectly clear. 



Mr. D. Booth, of Leeds, on August 11, saw eighteen 

 meteors in the forty-five minutes from loh. to loh. 45m., 

 and found the Perseid radiant at 47^° + 58^°. 



" W. F. Denninc;. 



THE LIVERPOOL MEETING OF THE 

 BRITISH ASSOC I A TION. 



III. 



IT is possible now to forecast to some considerable 

 extent the work of the various Sections from the in- 

 formation already received from presidents, recorders, 

 and authors. 



In Section .A (Physics), Prof J. J. Thomson's opening 

 address will deal, we believe, with (i) the teaching of 

 physics ; (2) the kathode and Rontgen rays ; (3) the 

 passage of electricity through a gas ; and (4) the move- 

 ment of the ether. Friday will be devoted in this .Section 

 chiefly to phenomena connected with the Rontgen rays ; 

 and on Saturday the Section will divide into the two 

 departments of mathematical physics and meteorology. 



In .Section B (Chemistry) the address of the President 

 (Dr. Ludwig Mond) will deal with the development of 

 the industrial manufacture of chlorine. Technical papers 

 will probably occupy a large portion of Friday's sitting, 

 including a report, by Prof Bedson, on the composition 

 of coal. On Monday, Prof Ramsay will read a paper on 

 helium, and there will be a number of other communica- 

 tions on helium and argon. On the same day, a paper 

 will be read on the synthesis of the elements. It is hoped 

 that this will lead to a discussion, to which several have 

 promised to contribute. Other matters of interest will 

 be an exhibition of photographs of explosions in various 

 gaseous mixtures, by Prof Dixon, and the report of the 

 Committee on science teaching in elementary schools, 

 which will be followed by a paper on science teaching 

 in girls' schools, from Miss Walters. 



It is hoped that the numerous chemical works in the 

 neighbourhood may prove attractive to the members of 

 the Section, and arrangements are being made for 

 members of the Section to visit several of the most 

 interesting works on special afternoons. 



Mr. Marr's address to Section C (Geology) will be 

 devoted to recent advance in stratigraphical geology. 

 He will notice at some length the imperfection of the 

 geological record, especially in the earliest times. He 

 will advocate the continuance of that work in detail which 

 has been the cause of our best discoveries in the past. 

 Doubt will be thrown upon the advantage of too rigid an 

 adherence to uniformitarianism. Lastly, he will discuss 

 the advantage of geology as an instrument of education. 

 In the work of the Section, more prominence than usual 

 will be given to the reports of the research committees, 

 several of which are likely to lead to considerable dis- 

 cussion. The excavations at Hoxne have been successful 

 in proving the relation of Paheolithic man to the glacial 

 epoch, besides yielding new evidence as to alternations 



