OBSERVATIONS OF LUMINOUS METEORS. 201 



siopeia and Perseus appears to be accounted for by a distinct radiant-point 

 in Cassiopeia, of which the principal date coincides only partially with the 

 10th of August, and whose shower again presents a prominent and distinct 

 appearance on the 23rd of that month. Most of the general meteor systems 

 described in the former Atlas are found to be confirmed, and some very 

 distinct radiant-points not previously recorded have at the same time been 

 added to its list. 



APPENDIX. 



I. Meteobs doubly Observed. 



On September 1st, October 11th, and December 17th, 1874, and on 

 April 12th and May 2nd, 1875, accounts of the appearance of large meteors 

 were received, which had been pretty generally observed, and of which from 

 their magnitude it may be hoped that more abundant particulars will be 

 obtained. The following descriptions of the first two of these large meteors 

 were collected from published sources by Mr. Wood, together with some other 

 ajjpearances of large meteors and meteor-showers of interest during the past 

 year. Mr. Wood's observation of the fireball of April 12th, 1875, and those 

 relating to the other doubly observed meteors above mentioned, wiU be found 

 in the firebaU list of the next Appendix, together with some examples of 

 doubly observed shooting-stars during the bright shower of the August 

 meteors in 1874. It has not been attempted to submit these comparative 

 observations to regular reduction and calculation, partly as those of the 

 large meteors are too uncertain to afi'ord useful determinations of their real 

 heights, and (in the case of the shooting-stars) in the expectation that a 

 closer examination of the descriptions received of the August meteor-shower 

 in 1874 will continue to furnish further examples of them of which the present 

 may be regarded as instances of only the most conspicuous occurrence. 

 Among the few records of the periodical meteor-showers that have been 

 received (without solicitations from the Committee), during the past year, 

 no other cases have presented themselves in which determinations of a 

 meteor's real height might be obtained by the combination of distant ob- 

 servations. 



Newspaper Accounts of Meteors. 



Aughton, Lancasliire. — " A large meteor seen September 1st, 8.49, in the 

 S.S.W., descended the west margin of the Milky Way. Trended a little 

 more west. Train of light 25° long, lasted one minute." — Times, Sept. 5. 



Louth. — Meteor moved from S. to N. 



Bnstol. — " Meteor appeared 3° under ;; Ursse Majoris. W. to E." — 

 Times, Sept. 3. 



Birmingham. — " About 8.15 p.m. on Sept. Ist a bright meteor emerged 

 from the Constellation of the Great Bear, and took a S.W. course. The 

 period of transit was several seconds, but the splendid light left in its track 

 illuminated the heavens for a considerable time." — Birmingham Daily Post, 

 Sept. 3. [For descriptions of this large fireball at Bristol and at Bude, 

 Cornwall, see the List in Appendix II.] 



Nottingham. — Meteor of Sept. 2nd, 10.53. See ' Times,' Sept. 4th. 



Birmingham. — October 11th, 8.55. " A bar of fire as even as a mea- 

 sure, 4 or 5 yards long and 2 inches thick, in a horizontal position. It 

 was very bright, and remained so for a minute and a half. It appeared in 

 the N.E." 



