OBSEKVATIONS OF LUMINOUS METEORS. 59 



tion of tlie Rev. E,. Main, by Mr. Lucas at the EadcliiFe Observatory at 

 Oxford. The watch at the latter place was contiuucd during the night of the 

 ] 9-20th of April until the morning hours, and the Lyraids continued to be 

 more and more abundant until daybreak. The position of the radiant-point 

 was close to that found in the former observations of 1864*. The prevalence of 

 some other radiant-points of shooting-stars chiefly producing, it appears, bright 

 meteors during the months of March, April, and May was discernible ; and the 

 heights of two bright meteors from different radiant-points that appeared on 

 the night of the 19th of April will be approximately obtained from double and 

 triple observations of their apparent paths which were then recorded. 



The heights of some large meteors seen on other nights of the year have 

 also been determined with some certainty from corresponding observations of 

 them at distant places, of which a short description is given, with that of the 

 principal observations from which they are derived. Large meteors have been 

 seen in more than ordinary numbers during the past year ; and the informa- 

 tion respecting several of these meteors which has been received by the Com- 

 mittee is included in a general list in continuation of some former notes of 

 meteors of the largest class. But two aerolites appear to have fallen during 

 the years 1871-72 ; the first at Searsmont, in the United States, on the 21st 

 of May, 1871, and the second in November, 1871, at Montereau, in France. 



At the conclusion of the lleport the contribution of some recent valuable 

 additions to meteoric literature by the ItaHan astronomers and observers of 

 shooting-stars, Prof. Schiaparelli and Signer Denza, in combination with a 

 weU-known representative of meteoric science in Germany, Dr. G. von 

 Boguslawski, is briefly noticed and described ; and in the last place a long 

 list of radiant-points placed in comparison with each other in a single Table 

 by Mr. Greg at the close of this Eeport, forms a complete comparative index f 

 of the epochs and positions of all the meteoric showers included in the 

 general lists hitherto published for the northern hemisphere. 



Great improvements of this Table wiU, it cannot be doubted, be made by 

 reducing the many meteor-tracks, of which, since the appearance of the last 

 printed meteor- catalogue in these Eeports, a large number of descriptions have 

 been received. To enable them to accomplish this undertaking, the continu- 

 ation of the Committee's operations, and of a grant to support them in execu- 

 ting charts and tracings, is earnestly recommended to the British Association. 

 The watchfulness of observers on every fine night when favourable opportu- 

 nities present themselves for recording the occasional appearances of shooting- 

 stars, in order to contribute fresh materials for the same purpose, is once more 

 appealed to, in addition to the nights of annual recurrence of meteor-showers, 

 of which, as before, due notice will be regularly communicated to them by the 

 Committee, and suitable means will be furnished to them to enable them to assist 

 these objects by their observations, to which their attention will again be in- 

 vited at the returns of the several meteoric epochs, as in former years. 



I. Meteoks doublt obseeved. 



Among the meteors observed during the simultaneous watch for the annual 

 meteor-shower of August, December, Januarj^, and April, in 1871 and 1872, 

 several accordant observations of individual meteors were found, enabling 

 their real heights to be satisfactorily ascertained. A list of such accordances 



* See the volume of these Seports for 1SG4, p. 98, 



t An'equally extensive list by Dr. J. F. Schmidt, of Athens (Astronomisehe Nachrichtf n, 

 No. 1756, 18G9), unknown to the Committee -wlicn the accomp.anying Tabic was com- 

 piled, is, for the present, omitted from its comparisons. 



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