382 REPORT— 1867. 



The occurrence of a meteoric shower with a very precise and well-defined 

 radiant-point at y Orionis on the 18th of October 18G-4 and 20th of October 

 1865, was noticed in these Eeports (for 1865, p. 122 ; and 1866, p. 134), 

 and the remarkable peculiarity of meteors emanating from this radiant-point 

 was pointed out, that they are characterized by very ruddy colour, and by 

 leaving voluminous streaks. 



On the nights of the lSth-20th of October 1866, the sky was so gene- 

 rally overcast in England that no special observations of the recurrence of 

 the shower could be collected. An incidental confirmation of the periodical 

 recurrence of remarkably fine meteors on this date is, however, afforded in 

 the present catalogaie by the account of an unusually large meteor, seen at 

 sea between England and Ireland, on the morning of the 19th of October 

 1866 ; and described by Mr. J. Seymour Davies. The fireball presented 

 precisely those peculiar features which characterize the meteors emanating 

 from this special radiant-point, both by its violet coloiu", approaching to 

 crimson, and by leaving a persistent luminous streak, which remained 

 visible five minutes by the watch. The direction of the meteor, " from south 

 to north," also agrees with that which meteors passing nearly overhead from 

 this radiant-point would pursue at S^ a.m. (which was the hour of the obser- 

 vation), when the constellation of Orion, in which the radiant-point is j^laced, 

 is situated upon the southern meridian. 



Meteor-shower of November 13th-14th, 1866. 



On the night of the 12th-13th of November the densely overcast state of 

 the sky in England permitted few observations to be recorded. 



At the Observatory, King's College, Aberdeen, five observers took their 

 station at 10" p.m., and watched until I'' 30™ a.m. on the 13th. Mr. D. 

 Gill reports :— 



" The sky was beautifully clear, excepting a low bank of cloud, which 

 extended all round the horizon. At IS*" 50™ small patches of cloud appeared 

 in different parts of the sky, but entirely disappeared by 1'' 30™ a.m. Streaks 

 of aurora appeared irregularly throughout the whole night. 



" Comparatively few meteors with trains were observed on this evening 

 and the following morning, most of the phenomena partaking more of the 

 appearance of ordinary shooting-stars. In the accompanying journal their 

 general position only is noted." 



The particulars of a few meteors of a marked description are entered 

 above, in the Catalogue. The numbers of the meteors seen in the successive 

 half hours by the five observers were as follows : — 



li HI 



In the half -hour endmg lo 30 



Number of meteors seen 4 



Two flashes of lightning, in the S.S.E., were seen at 1" 1™ and 1" 6™ 43' 



A.M. 



At Glasgow, with the sky two-thirds clear, ]Mr. A. S. Herschel recorded 

 two meteors in twenty min\;tes on the same morning, fi'om 3'^ to 3"" 20™ a.m. 



November 13th-14th. — Clouds generally prevailed on the evening of the 

 13th, and cleared off on the morning of the 14th of November. The foUow- 

 in"' are extracts fi'om the principal reports on the apparition of the shower : — 



At Manchester. — " The night was tempestuous, with lightning, rain, and 

 hail until 12'' 15™ a.m. on the 14th, after which the sky frequently became 

 partially, or even totally obscured at intervals, but remained tolerably clear 



I 



