20 KEPORT — 18G7. 



A Comparison of the Kew and Lisbon Magnetic Curves during the Disturbance 

 of February 20-25, 1866. Bi/ Senhor Capello. Communicated by Dr. 

 Balfouk Stewart, F.E.S. 



Dui-iuo: the 20tb, 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 24tli, and 25th of February 1866, large mag- 

 netic disturbances were recorded by the magnetogi'aphs at the Lisbon ObserA'atory. 

 The present communication, relative to these distm-bauces, oiiers some interest on 

 account of the apparent Aariability of the forces which are in action during the 

 same disturbance, and also the apparently variable relations between these forces 

 at Lisbon and the same forces at Kew. In a former comparison certain laws were 

 deduced, and it was interesting to know if they were confirmed. 



On the Results of Observations of Atmospheric Electricity at Kew Observatory 

 and at ^\indsor, Nova Scotia. By Dr. J. D. Everett. 

 The Kew obsei-vatious included in this paper extended from June 1862 to May 

 1864 inclusive, and were taken with Sii- "William Thomson's self-recording appa- 

 ratus ; specimens of the photogi-aphic curves thus taken being exhibited at the 

 fleeting. The "Windsor observations taken by Dr. Everett with apparatus of a 

 different kind, also invented by Sir William Tliomson, but not self-recording, ex- 

 tended from October 1862 to August 1864. Montlily averages which had been 

 taken showed that at Kew there had in every month been two maxima in the day, 

 one of them between eight and ten a.m., and the other, which was more conside- 

 rable, between eight and ten p.m. At "Windsor, on the contrary, the electricity 

 between eight and ten p.m. had in every month been weaker than either between 

 eight and ten a.m. or between two and three p.m. The annual curve for Kew had 

 its principal maximmn in November, and another in February or March. At 

 Windsor the principal nuiximum was in February or March, and the minima in 

 Jime and November. The annual cm-ves for the two places agi-eed pretty well 

 from January to October, but were cmwed in opposite directions from October to 

 January. 



On the Meteor Shower of Aur/ust 1867. By George Forbes. 

 Communicated by Professor Swan, F.li.S.E. 



The author gave the results of certain observations made by him at St. 

 Andi-ews on the meteor shower of August 18G7. The nights following the 0th, 

 10th, and 11th of the month were very cloudy, and no obseiTations could bo made. 

 Most of the observations were made on the eAening of the 10th and morning of 

 the 11th. But even on this night a faint haze for the most part covered the sky. 

 The meteors were almost all of the same size as stai-s of the .3rd or 4th magnitude. 

 They were, with few exceptions, white. They lasted in general only about half a 

 second. They were very rapid in their flight. One could hardly dislinguish any 

 nucleus. The train was visible, after its formation, only for a very small fraction 

 of a second ; and breaks in their tracks of about 1° were frequently noticed. The 

 lengths of their paths extended from 3° to 15°, though in some cases they were 30° 

 in length. Attention was chiefly directed to discovering the points of radiation, 

 and to noting the times of appearance. 



The liadicaif-Points. — It was soon seen that there were two distinct radiantr 

 points ; the one in the region of Casseiopeia, the other about Andromeda. By 

 drawing on the spot the courses of the meteors among the stars, the points of radia- 

 tion were marked on a map, and were found to lie as follows : — That in Casseio- 

 peia had for its right ascension 2'' 43™, and for its north polar distance 29° 30'. 

 The other was in the constellation Pisces, and its position was li.A. =0'' 46"' 

 N.P.D. = 67°. 



77(6 nuinhers of Sliooting-stars. — The nmnbers of those which came from the 

 Casseiopeian and Piscian gi-oups, and also of the unconformable meteors, were aU 

 separated, and are shown in the following Table. 



