OBSERVATIONS OV LUMINOUS METEORS. 151 



At Dijon radiant-positions were also observed by Abbe Lanioy, who noted 

 the mean place of the principal radiant for all the nights at R.A. 37°, N. 

 Decl. 45° (A), and recorded also the foUowing general centres of showers 

 which appeared to accompany the display : — atll.A. 320°-4, S. Decl. 1°'8 (B), 

 and E.A. 331°, Decl. 0°. 



At Bordeaux, M. Lespianlt noticed the existence of several secondary 

 radiant-points in or near the constellation Cassiopeia. 



N^otes of an abundant shower were also received from llouen, Sainte 

 Honorine du Pay, and from Courtcnay, where M. Coruu observed a remark- 

 able light-cloud, or band of light, stretching with blunted terminations to 

 a full length of 120°, and moving eastward, which he conjectures may have 

 had some connexion with the display. 



In addition to these observations collected and published in France under 

 M. Le Terrier's superintendence, M. Ernest Quetelet communicated to the 

 Belgian Academy of Sciences * an account of the August meteor observations 

 made at the Eoyal Observatory at Brussels, and the following numbers of 

 meteors were observed: — 



August 9tli, August lOtb, August lltli, 



10"-llh. 9h55'"-10i'55'"; ll^ 4o"-12i^ 45". 9'' 50'"-10'i 50'". 

 (much cirrus) (some clouds) (quite clear) (clear) 



No. of meteors 16 31 59 34 



seen. (3 observers) (3 observers) (2 obseiTers) 



Do. iu order of' 

 brightness(de- 



scendiug from > 3, 5, 7, 1, 0, 0. 13, 17, 34, 15, 8, 0. 2, 6, 10, 8, 7, 1. 



1st to 6tli mag- 

 nitude). 



Totals 18,28, 51,24,15,1. 



The largest meteor of the shower, at 11'' 15™ (Brussels time), on the 10th, ex- 

 ceeded Jupiter in brightness, and left a persistent streak visible for 20 seconds, 

 which disappeared without presenting any indications of rapid currents in the 

 upper atmosphere. Although a pretty bright display, this annual return of 

 the August meteors was yet not so remarkable as to distinguish it as an cscep- 

 tionall}' great reappearance of the shower. 



At Cheadle, in England t, a very similar view of the shower, confirming 

 its marked but not very extraordinary intensity, was obtained by Mr. G. T. 

 Rj^es, whose observations of tlie Persei'ds in 1871, communicated to the 

 Committee by Mr. Symons, as follows, must have enabled him to make a fair 

 comparison between the abundance of the meteors seen on this and on that 

 earlier occasion : — " Took up a station at the top of the Wrekin with a party 

 of friends for the purpose of observing the periodic display of meteors, 

 Aug. 10th, 1871. Counted about 70 between 9" 30™ and 11" 30™ p.m., nearly 

 all in the neighbourhood of the constellations of Perseus and Cepheus ; none 

 very remarkable. A larger number seen on our way home from ll"" 30™ p.m, 

 to 2" 15™ A.M., and of larger size, but not coiuited. One very briUiant one [sec 

 the fireball-list in this Eeport], about 0'' 33™ a.m., lighting up the country." 



* Bulletins de I'Acad. E. des Sciences de Belgique, 2' serie, tome 39, 1875. 



t ' Astronomical Eegister,' 1875, p. 222. Erratum. — The position of the radiant-point 

 of the Perseids in 1874 assigned by Mr. W. F. Denning at Bristol, in the ' Astronomical 

 Eegister ' of Sept. 1874, " bewteenB, C Camelopardi and x Persei, at E.A. 2'> 55™, D. 58° 

 30' N.," was at E.A. 44°, N. Decl. .58°'5; not, as misprinted in these Eeports (for 1875, 

 p. 213), at E.A. 39°, N. Deel. 58°-5. 



