OBSERVATIONS OF LUMINOUS METEORS. 89 



scription of bright meteors seen in the United States on the 7th and 24th of 

 August, 1869, was communicated by Mr. B. V. Marsh to the Secretary of the 

 Committee, Mr. Herschel, soon after the time of their appearance. The 

 occurrence in the present year of a very brilliant meteor-streak observed in 

 Scotland at sunset on the 6th of August, 1870, appears to corroborate the 

 opinion of Mr. Marsh, that a meteor-shower from some western radiant-point 

 has prevailed on the 6th and 7th of August of the two last years, of which the 

 meteors were chiefly visible soon after sunset. A second brilliant meteor- 

 streak was observed in Scotland soon after sunset of the evening of the 15th 

 of August last (see Appendix I. ; 1869, August 15th), which appeared to one 

 observer to be self-luminous, and to others to be illuminated by the sun's rays 

 in the manner in which Mr. Marsh observes that the streak seen in America 

 on the 24th of August, 1869, was evidently rendered more than ordinarily 

 brilliant. 



"On the 7th of August, a little while after sunset, several were seen descend- 

 ing almost vertically in the west and north-west, being very conspicuous even 

 in the strong light of the western twilight. 



" One which I saw at 7'' 49™ started about 18° high and disappeared at 

 about 6° ; fell almost vertically, but inclined a little to the right. 



" ' The Press ' noticed one at 7^ 55", the cloud from which remained visible 

 ten minutes. 



" August 24th, Mr. J. S. Hilles, of the Reading Eailroad, saw one in the 

 north-west, just as the upper limb of the sun disappeared : a very brilliant 

 fireball inclining considerably to the right [see the figure] as it descended, and 

 leaving behind it a perfectly straight streak of brilliant white light slightly 

 enlarged at its lower end, and having at that part a nebulous undefined 

 appearance ; whole length say 15° or 20°. This assumed successively the 

 following forms : — 



During this time it had floated westward until it was nearly over the setting 

 sun, and was beautifully lighted ' with the rose hues of sunset, while its upper 

 part assumed a strikingly silvery appearance.' 



" Mr. Hilles did not look at his watch, but his impression at the time was 

 that it remained visible half an hour ; but he thinks that this may be an over- 

 estimate. 



" At 7** 20" the same evening (August 24th) another appeared which 

 attracted very general attention. 



" One of my neighbours, after watching it about five minutes, called me out. 

 The luminous cloud was then very conspicuous, its base about 15° north of 

 west, altitude about 13°. The meteor had fallen almost vertically, and at 

 that point had appeared to explode. It vanished so quickly that most persons 

 saw only the flash, but several say they saw the meteor itself before the 

 exijlosion. 



" Its path was marked by a brilliant line of light, which soon widened so as 

 to appear as a narrow strip of cloud, say 3° or 4° long and |° wide, having 

 at its lower extremity a much brighter part resembling the nucleus of a 



