14.0 REPORT — 186G, 



20°, and tlie latter more than 100° removed from the " apex of the earth's 

 wai/," it follows that the earth's motion of translation is plainly recognized 

 as the result of observation, by its effect of increasing the speed of the meteors 

 from the former radiant-point to 55| miles per second, and diminishing the 

 speed of the meteors from the latter radiant-point to nineteen miles per 

 second. 



The position of the radiant-point in some part of the constellation Leo was 

 noted, ^vith the following results, at Greenwich and at Hawkhurst— to which 

 are added the positions of the same radiant-point observed by Dr. Hois, and 

 by observers in America, on the morning of the 13th of November 1865 : — 



Plac:" iind Observer's name, and Position of Radiant in Leo, 



Hour of Observation. 18G.5, Nov. 13tb, a.m. 



Greenwich (1" to 5" a.m., Mr. Glaisher) . . R. A. 160°, N. Decl. 30° 



Hawkhurst (1" to 3*^ a.m., Mv. Herschel) . . ,,148 „ 23 



Miinster (0" to 0" 30"" a.m., Dr. Hois) . . „ 148 „ 24 



JSTewhaven, U. S. . . (Prof. H. A. Newton) ,148 „ 23 



Philadelphia, U. B. (Mr. B. V. Marsh) ,,148 „ 24 



The four latter positions are in remarkably close agreement with the 

 position of the same radiant-point (R. A. 148° 10', N. Decl. 23° 4-5') observed 

 by Professor Aiken at Emmettsburg, Md., U.S.A., from 4'> 45™, to 0'^ 45™ 

 A.M., on the 13th of November 1833. (Am. Journ. Sci., 1st Series, vol. xxvi. 

 p. 330.) 



(3.) Meteoric Shower of January 2nd and April 20th, 1866. 

 The January and April showers, in 1866, as shown by observations con- 

 tained in the Catalogue, were completely in default. 



(4.) Meteoric Shower of May 18th, 1866. 

 Meteors of the first class (7=lst-mag., 2=2nd-mag., 3=3rd-mag. stars) 

 were observed at the Eoyal Observatory, Greenwich, towards midnight, on 

 the 18th of May 1866, falling at the rate of 12 per hour. The radiant-point, 

 although somewhat indefinite, was distinctly the radiant Q^ (No. XXa) of 

 Dr. Heis and Mr. Greg, between Corona and the Head of Hercules. The date, 

 on account of the possibility of a connexion existing between shower meteors 

 in May and the star-showers of November, merits attention, with the view of 

 determining further points of radiation. 



(5.) Meteoric Shower of August 1866. 



A period of about 103 years, noticeable in the returns of the August 

 meteors, would bring two star-showers of the years 830 and 833 a.d., cited 

 by Biot from the Chinese Annals, into immediate relation with the pheno- 

 menon of the 10th of August, 1863, to which the first or second of these star- 

 showers might correspond. 



The hourly niTmber of meteors on the night of the 10th of August, 1800, 

 was not greatly above the ordinary scale of the phenomenon. A large meteor 

 appeared in daylight over the south of England at 8'' 15™ p.m., on the even- 

 ing of the 8th ; and a large fireball was oliserved at Hawkhurst at 0'' 42"', 

 on the morning of the 10th. 



At the Iloyal Observatory, Greenwich, the sky was clear on the 7th, and 

 175 meteors were observed. Two meteors were observed through a break in 

 the clouds on the 8th. The sky was again clear on the 9th, and 113 meteors 

 were mapped in a few hours. On the night of the 10th, 24 meteors were 

 observed through breaks in the clouds. The radiant was in Perseus. 



At Eichmond, near London, on the night of the 1 0th of August, the clouds 



