A CATALOGUE OF OBSERVATIONS OF LUMINOUS METEORS. 383 



until 1" 30"" A.M. The finest part of the display endured from 12'> 45" until 

 I'' 15™ A.M., when the numbers seen fell off most rapidly, contrary to the 

 ordinary rule of horary increase, until 4 o'clock a.m. As far as I can esti- 

 mate, the number seen by one person about 1 o'clock must have averaged 

 about 50 in one minute. At 1'' 45" I coimted 50 in six mimites, and at 

 3 o'clock only 15 in five minutes ! 



'•' There was rather a remarkable glare during the display, and the sky was 

 not nearly so dark as it should have been." (Letter from Mr. Greg). 



lleport of Mr. Dancer, optician and practical astronomer, of Manchester, to 

 Mr. Greg. — " Meteors. Morning of November 14tb, 1866, Manchester. 



No, of meteors 

 Interval. 



From 12'' 37" a.m. to 12'' 53" a.m. 16»> 

 „ 12" 59" „ „ 1" 0" „ 62^ 



At 2" 15" „ 5" 



" The largest seen had a purplish train and colour. 



" One gentleman, in a very favourable position in Cheshire, reports fifteen 

 meteors seen at once." (Communicated by Mr. Greg.) 



Blackburn, Lancashire. — " At 12'' 15" a.m., meteors appeared at the rate of 

 two or three per minute. At 1'' a.m., four or five conspicuous meteors were 

 nearly constantly to be seen in the sky. One observer might, if his view 

 were entirely uninterrupted by clouds, see fifty simultaneously. At 2'' 15" 

 a.m. a comparative cessation. At 3'' a.m., only a few weak ones in the space 

 of two or three minutes. At 4'', 5'', and 6" a.m. no further appearances, the 

 sky becoming more permanently overcast, with few glimpses of the stars. 

 Immediately before sunrise, the sky being clear, there were no meteors 

 visible." (From the Manchester ' Examiner and Times.') 



Beeston Observatory, Nottingham. Extract from Mr. Lowe's observa- 

 tions : — " The first meteor seen was at 7'' 59" p.m., on the N.E. horizon, 

 large and bursting like a rocket. From S'' imtil 10'' p.m. much cloud. From 

 10'' P.M. until 11'' P.M. cloudless, twelve small meteors seen. Between 9'' p.m. 

 and 11" P.M. six flashes like faint reflected lightning*. At 10'' 36'" p.m. an 

 indistinct meteor, a mere dull spark, moved from N. to S. horizontally (this 

 was evidently very low down, as a hiU behind it was higher than the meteor. 

 It was impossible to be deceived in this, and I consider that it passed within 

 100 yards of me). The sky was again cloudy until nearly half-past 1 o'clock 

 a.m., but quite light from the meteors. 



A.M. I counted myself 104 in a minute, 

 jj >) }) l"*^ J) 



» J» 5» oO „ 



„ they had diminished to 6 „ 

 " >> j> ^ 1) 



" I watched aU through the night before, and wo had three difierent times 

 clear sky of from 20'" to 30" duration between heavy showers, but not a 

 single meteor was seen ; and on the night following the shower, when 

 clear, there were but few seen here."| 



Oundle. — Pieport of H. Wcightman: — " On the night of the 12th, although 

 keeping a strict watch between 6" 30" and 7" 30" p.m., and again between 

 8" 30" and 9'' 30" p.m., I saw no meteor, I watched again in the open air 



* "Tlie lightning flaslies had not the looks of Hghtning. Was it reflected meteor 

 light?" 



