a 



294 REPORT— 1869. 



Intervals (p.m.] ,,,,,,, 11 , , 



„ \ T u Ji li h ]i li 11 m li h m li li m 



& AM.) ending ^ 7 S 9 10 11 12 12 30 1 130 2 2 30 

 at JSov. 13-1-1 J 



No. of Me- I ^,^^.^j.. ^ -^^ -^g 24 2G 25 40 46 70 94 42* 

 teors seen |^ j^^^ _ ^ -^c, ^G 21 19 19 35 26 9* 

 Total:— At Moncalieri, 400; at Bra, 179. 



The meteors seen after midniglit presented the same appearance as those 

 of IS'ovembcr 14th, 1866, leaving brilliant streaks which often remained 

 visible for several seconds. Their brightness exceeded that of Jupiter or 

 "Venus, of a reddish line. Their directions were all conformable to a radiant- 

 point in Leo, situated exactly between y and 4 of that constellation. The 

 gradual increase of the horary numbers shows that the maximum was not 

 attained, and that the meteoric shower probably commenced a few hours 

 before midnight at Moncalieri. At the neiglibouriug station of Mondovi, 

 where the sky was partially clear from 4h. until 4h. 15m. a.m., eighteen 

 bright meteors were counted in the few clear spaces ; and after this time, 

 when the sky was completely overcast, two meteors and fifteen lightning- 

 like flashes were seen through the clouds by Prof. Bruno, in the space of a 

 quarter of an hour, between oh. 30m. and 5h. 45m. a.m. 



On the night of the 14th-15th, observations of meteors in Piedmont were 

 prevented by bad weather at all the stations. (Letter from Father P. Denza 

 to the Secretary of the Committee.) 



At the Royal Observatory of Madrid the horary number of meteors did not 

 surpass six or eight on the night of the 12th-13th, and before midnight on the 

 night of the 13th. From that time until 2h. a.m. on the 14th 200 meteors were 

 counted by two observers, among which six or seven bolides illumiuated the 

 country round the observatory with the brilliancy of moonlight. The radiant- 

 point of aU the meteors was in Leo. Between 2h. and 3h. a.m. the number 

 of meteors seen by the two observers rose to 350 in one hour. A splendid 

 fireball (see Catalogue) appeared at 2h. 33m. a.m. Between 3h. and 4h. a.m. 

 the number of meteors seen remained about the same as in the previous hour, 

 after which time they became more frequent ; and between 5h. and 5h. 30m. 

 A.M. twenty meteors could be counted in a minute. One meteor in every 

 ten was then brighter than a first-magnitude star ; their course was short, 

 especially near the radiant-point, which was close to rj Leonis. After 5h. 

 30m. A.M. the intensity of the shower began to decline, the approaching 

 dawn at the same time obscuring some of the smallest meteors. 



The majority of the nuclei were bluish, many white, a few bright red, 

 and a very few bright emerald-green. The maximum probably occurred 

 soon after daybreak, as thirteen bright meteors were counted between 6h. 

 and 6h. 35m. a.m., when Mars, Sirius, and even Venus had disappeared, and 

 the last meteor observed was recorded five minutes before the sun rose. 



During the night of the 14th-15th, as on that of the 12-13th, the number 

 of meteors was very small. A large fireball must, however, have appeared 

 at 12h. 20m. a.m. (see Catalogue), as its bright persistent streak remained 

 visible for several minutes. 



The appearance of the maximum of the shower iii 1868 was accordingly 

 chiefly visible in America, and the first commencement of the shower was 

 not discernible in Europe. Although less dense in its frequency, yet in the 

 greater extent of its duration, and uniformity of its structure, the meteoric 



* Dining these lialf-hours the sky was partly overcast. 



