144 KEPORT — 1866. 



field of view, and passed out of it. The brightest portion of the streak, how- 

 ever, was brought into the middle of the field of view, where it occupied an 

 excellent position (parallel to the refracting edges of the i)risms) for viewing 

 its prismatic spectrum. A slight effect of distortion (produced in the prisms) 

 caused it to appear somewhat bent, like a bow, across the field of view. The 

 spectrum presented the appearance of a narrow line of light, exceedingly 

 brilliant, of a golden-yellow colour, and not more than 5' in width. It faded 

 gradually along its whole length, and disappeared in about two and a half or 

 three seconds. Its description, noted in the register, kept for the purpose at 

 the time, was — "neither double, triple, nor midtiple, nor continuous, hut 

 'purely and positively monochromatic." 



" Auyust 11th. — No. 8, 0'' 15"" a.m. Equal to a third-mag. star. Shot from 

 /3 Cephei to S Draconis in three-quarters of a second, leaving a luminous 

 streak for two seconds. The spectrum of the streak was a remarkably slender 

 orange-yellow line of no appreciable breadth, without any continuous spectrum 

 near to it, or any other neighboirring bands or lines. It was very bright, 

 remaining in sight two seconds, and it gradually faded away until it vanished. 

 The spectrum of the nucleus appeared to be undisttnguishably the same as 

 that of the streak. 



" No. 9, 0'^ 20™ A,M. Equal to a third-mag. star. Shot from a Cephei to 

 33 Cygni (Fl.) in three-quarters of a second, leaving a streak for one second 

 and a half. The spectrum of the streak was dull grey, diffuse, about -}° in 

 width, with a yellow line included in it o>i the side toiuards the red. The 

 yellow line and the diffuse band disappeared together. The spectrum of the 

 nucleus appeared to be appreciably the same as that of the streak. 



" No. 10, 0'* 33™ A.M. Equal to a fourth-mag. star. Shot from p CassiopeifB 

 to o Honorum in half a second, leaving no streak. The spectrum of the 

 nucleus appeared to be concentrated into a few faint lines with wide intervals 

 between them ; but this description is very uncertain. 



" No. 11, O*" 33™ A.M. Equal to a third-mag. star. Eeturned about half- 

 way along the course of the preceding meteor in half a second, leaving no 

 streak. The spectrum of the nucleus was a concentrated point of yellow 

 light, having all the appearance of an ordinary yellow shooting-star. 



" No. 12, 0'' 42™ A.M. Equal to Sirius ; colour white. Shot from <■ Trian- 

 guli to ri Piscium in one second and a quarter, leaving a streak for four seocuds 

 on its course. In the spectroscope the meteor slowly crossed the middle of 

 the field of view, on a course directly parallel to the refracting edges of the 

 prisms, producing a very superb spectrum. The spectrum of the nucleus was 

 red, green, and blue, extremely brilliant. The tryin-spectrum was diffuse, 

 1° in width, in which a thin bright orange-yellow line was plainly seen on 

 the side toiuards the red. The diffuse portion of the train-spectrum faded in 

 about two seconds, apparently following the nucleus. The sodium line re- 

 mained extremely bright for not less than two seconds longer, and faded 

 gradually along its whole length, when it also disappeared. The singular 

 characters of this spectrum were most distinctly and beautifully seen, and the 

 long endurance of the sodium line, after the rest had disappeared, was leisurely 

 M^atched. 



" No. 13, 1'' 23™ A.M. Equal to a third-mag. star. Shot from P Camelo- 

 pardi to a Draconis in half a second, leaving a streak for two seconds on its 

 course. The train -spectrum was a diffuse band of greyish light ^° wide, 

 somewhat brighter on the side towards the red, and it so vanished. The 

 spectrum of the nucleus was appreciably the same as that of the strealc. 

 " No. 14, 1'' 55™ A.M. Equal to a first mag. star. Shot from o Custodis to 



b 



