108 RKPOKT IHT'i. 



although not definitely marked bj' exact intersections of their apparent paths, 

 yet appears to be the best average position of the somewhat diffuse centre of 

 divergence which they appear to have presented that was obtained during 

 the last annnal reappearance of the April meteors. 



The notable absence of meteors on the evening of April 20th, after the 

 somewhat considerable star-shower that was seen at most of the stations on 

 the preceding night, was especially remarked by Mr. Clark, who described the 

 following particulars of the watch which he kept at York for the appearance 

 of any continuation of the meteor-shower which might be visible on the 

 second night : — " Tlie watch on Saturday the 20th was altogether unsuccessful. 

 I commenced a few minutes before 10'', and was joined at IC' 25'" by Mr. 

 Brown, when for about ten minutes a cirrus cloud from the cast obscured 

 two thirds of the sky, and we were driven in by a snow-storm from the north 

 at 11'' 10"' ; after which I did not watch, as it remained more or less cloudy. 

 However, during that period of nearly an hour and a quarter, for half the 

 time tivo tvatching, we did not see with certainty a single meteor. Such a 

 remarkable absence of them I have never noticed before. To be sure the 

 moon was brilliant, but not so brilliant as to obscure 4th-magnitude stars." 



Meteoric SJioivcr of May 1872. — Some preparations which were made by 

 the Committee to watch for the appearance of any star-shower or conspicuous 

 meteors on the nights of the 17th, 18th, and 19th of May, when such have 

 been occasionally observed, wore entirely frustrated by a constant succession of 

 wet and cloudy weather. During the hour appointed for observation on the 

 evening of the 20th of May, Mr. Miller watched, with a tolerably clear view 

 of the sky, at Wisbeach, Avithout seeing any meteors. 



A single bright meteor of the shower was seen at Newcastle-on-Tyne, in 

 an interval of clear sky for about twenty minutes, on the night of Maj^ 17th- 

 18th, at 12*' 10'" (midnight) by Professor Herschel. It resembled a Lyra) in 

 brightness and colour, and passed in two seconds from between ^, ?; Draconis 

 to between 'C, t} Ursa) Majoris, beginning its course 5° before, and ending it 

 5° beyond those stars, and leaving a bright streak upon its whole track, 

 which remained visible, even in the bright moonlight, for one or two seconds. 

 The meteor's motion was apparently from the radiant DG^ in Draco, and was 

 not conformable to the principal radiant-group in Corona and Hercules (Q,,^ 

 of this meteoric epoch. 



PaPKHS RELATIXCi TO Meteoeic Astronomv. 



A pamphlet of printed instructions to observers of shooting-stars for tlie 

 year 1 872-73 has been circulated among astronomers and the associated ob- 

 servers of shooting- stars in Italy by Professor Schiaparelli «nd Signor F. 

 Denza, appointing five or six nights in each month for combined observations, 

 together with a list of nights in the whole year for which not more than 

 twenty meteor-tracks were recorded by Zezioli. Observers at fourteen 

 Italian stations are engaged in these observations ; and the Italian Luminous 

 Meteor Association have already recorded the apparent paths of 6151 meteors 

 in 1870, and of 10,257 meteors in 1871, which have been projected upon 

 suitable maps for exhibiting the radiant-points which they present. It is 

 intended to print these maps so as to exhibit the positions and characters of 

 the different radiant-points, with their dates of appearance, as clearly and 

 conveniently as possible to the eye. The star-maps employed by the Asso- 

 ciation of Italian observers are constructed upon the same projection as the 

 well-known Celestial Atlas of Professor Dorna of Turin. The observations 



