84; REPOllT— 1873. 



The following observations of the shower by Mr. E. P. Greg, at Man- 

 chester, on the night of the 10th, and at Bolton on the nights of the 11th 

 and 12th, describe the unusual appearance of one of the most remarkable 

 meteors recorded in the above list : — " The number of the meteors was 

 larger than usual, thougli not remarkably so. On the 10th and 11th, 

 between lO*" 30" and 12'', I did not perceive much difference in the horary 

 numbers : perhaps four or five in a minute for two observers ; coming 

 sometimes four or five nearly together, and then several minutes passing 

 without any being visible. On the evening of the 12th there was a great 

 falling off, not only in the numbers, but also in the size and flashing train 

 peculiar to the Perseids. At about 9'' 30" p.m. on the 10th, before I looked 

 out, I heard that a splendid meteor was seen here. 



" At 12" 31", on the night of the 10-llth of August, a very remarkable 

 meteor appeared in the S.E., which I hope may have been doubly observed, 

 although it was visible after the time appointed for the simultaneous watch. 

 It commenced close to /3 Andromedse, moving nearly on a line from t] Persei 

 to a point a little beyond the star y Pegasi, which it almost crossed, 

 describing a course of 10° or 12° in about two seconds. The nucleus had a 

 sensible disk of about 2' in diameter, and, together with the train, showed 

 prismatic colours. The train lasted twenty or thirty seconds, and soon 

 assumed a serpentine appearance. It was one of the most beautiful meteors 

 I have seen. About four or five seconds after it had disappeared, it broke out 

 again five or six degrees further on, near X Piscium, moving exactly in the same 

 direction, apparently the same meteor over again, about half its former size, 

 but with the same colours, and leaving a bright streak on this part of its 

 course for about three seconds. What appears most unaccountable was that 

 it broke out again three or four seconds, at least, after it should have done, 

 had it been the same meteor continuing onwards at the same velocity. It 

 seemed, instead, to be another meteor, although it must have been the same ; 

 but how its speed could be so checked after it first ceased to be visible, and 

 it could then go on at the same speed as before, I do not know." 



The results of the regular observations made at the Royal Observatory at 

 Greenwich, by Mr. Glaisher's staff of observers, are, in point of numbers and 

 of the brightness of the meteors seen, very similar to those obtained at 

 Oxford, the watch on the nights of the 10th and 11th being kept for about 

 six hours and four and a half hours, and during from two to three hours on 

 each of the remaining nights. The total number of meteors mapped, by the 

 parties of from one to four observers who watched during a space of about 

 25" 50" on the different nights was 470 ; and the average number per hour, 

 with that of the meteors equal to or brighter than first-magnitude stars 

 alone, recorded on each night is shown in the following Table : — 



Date, 1871, August 6 



Average hourly ] Bright meteors . . 4 



numbers of J Total mapped . . 8 



No. of observers 1 



The first meteor, equal to or exceeding the brightness of Jupiter, seen 

 during the display was that already noticed, which was recorded at 10" 51" 

 P.M. on the night of the 10th. At 9" 30" p.m. on the 11th a bluish-white 

 meteor, brighter than Venus, appeared low down near the eastern horizon, 

 immediately below y Andromeda?. At 10" 15" p.m. on the same evening a 

 similar meteor, brighter than Jupiter, appeared near b Ljncis, and moved 

 about 15° in 1| second in a direction from c Camelopardi, leaving a bright 

 gtrcfik for three seconds. A meteor of the same magnitude, which appeared 



