42 REPORT 1861. 



to the French Academy his annual report on this subject, especially for 

 August 9th, 10th, 11th, but including the time from July 15th to August 

 14th. The average number of these meteors per hour, at midnight, for 

 July 15th, 18th, 19th, was 6'5 ; for July 28th, 29th, 30th, was ia-6j 

 for July 31st, August 1st, 2nd, was 22 'l- ; for August 4th, 5th, 6th, was 

 27-2; and for August 9th, 10th, 11th, was 50-8. For August 12th, 13th, 

 14th, the average per hour was only 24*4. M. Coulvier-Gravier's calcula- 

 tions show that the year 1858 marked the term of the decrease of the number 

 of these phenomena since 1848 — the epoch of their greatest number. Since 

 1858 their number has gradually risen ; and we may hope therefore for the 

 reappearance of the meteoric splendours of August. 



Further observations on these brilliant phenomena, by Father Secchi, at 

 Rome, appear in the Cosmos. On August 9th, forty shooting-stars were seen 

 between 9 and 10 o'clock p.m.; on August 10th, between 9 and lOj, 133 

 appeared ; and in the same period of time on August llth, the number fell 

 to seventj'. Secchi therefore concludes that these phenomena are not 

 meteorological, but cosmical. He adds that he considers the most rational 

 explanation to be the admission that the sun is surrounded, in addition to 

 the comets and planets, by a ring formed of small bodies, which cuts the 

 ecliptic at the point where the earth is situated on August 10th ; and as every 

 year the earth returns to this point on the same day, and as, also, this point 

 may correspond with a condensed portion of the ring, we therefore see a 

 great number of these small bodies, attracted by the mass of the earth, fall 

 into it, and become inflamed by contact with our atmosphere. This theory 

 he considers to be confirmed by the constancy of their directions, which are 

 parallel and contrary to that of the earth in its orbit on that day." — Extract 

 from the ' Illustrated London News' of September 14, 1861. 



Note. — In generalizing from observations on the August periodical meteors 

 at any one spot on the earth's surface, it should be remembered that the 

 hourly numbers seen vary considerably with the locality. In 1833, the 

 great and wonderful display of meteors on November 13th was almost en- 

 tirely confined to the area of the United States ; and the total numbers per 

 hour observed of late years simultaneously at different stations appear to 

 vary. Secchi's theory of the ring of meteors is pretty much that which 

 Sir John Herschel advanced some time ago, and seems to be well worthy 

 of acceptance ; their orbits must in all probability be more elliptic than 

 that of the earth's orbit. 



August Meteors. 

 "Sir, — The August meteors this year have been more numerous than usual. 

 Last year, both at the August and November epochs, the sky was completely 

 overcast ; so that it was impossible to determine their number, or, in short, to 

 make any observations at all. During the August epoch of the present year 

 (1861), although there was much cloud at times, there were periods of clear 

 sky which enabled me to make some good observations. 



" Several letters in the Times have given a Persei as the point of diver- 

 gence of the August meteors ; this is not correct, as the point is very near 

 t) Persei : a line drawn from jj Persei to a Cassiopeiae will pass through this 

 point at a distance of less than 2° from tj Persei. The meteors increased in 

 number as the night progressed, i.e. there were more about 2 a.m. than at 



10 P.M. 



" The nearer the meteors were to rj Persei, the shorter were their paths ; 

 those with long paths were mostly 45° or more from this point. Those near 

 Perseus were longer in moving over 1° of space than those at a distance from 

 this point. 



