OBSERVATIONS OF LUMINOUS MKTEORS. 203 



.course extending about 20°. It then seemed to explode suddenly, and its 

 track was luminous for a short time. The granular debris of the meteor con- 

 tinued to pursue, with very much retarded velocity, a path slightly deflected 

 from its former course : it continued to do so for several degrees ; and it was, 

 I think, fully a minute after the explosion that several of us almost simul- 

 taneouslj' exclaimed ' It is falling.' It resembled the expiring light of one 

 globe of a rocket charged with golden rain. The falling motion was very 

 elow. I think it was visible for two minutes after the explosion ; but though 

 we tried more than once to consult our watches, the light was insufiicient." 



" Henkt H. Higgins." 

 " KainhiU [Sunday], Oct. 11, 1874." 



" An exceedingly brilliant meteor was seen here about 8.50 on Sunday 

 evening, which was so bright that it attracted general attention, the light 

 from it being as strong as an iinusually bright flash of lightning, but more 

 white. On looking up I saw, near the zenith, a long, almost straight and 

 uninterrupted ribbon of light, somewhat pointed at the end towards the 

 north-east. After watching it for some time, and uoticing that it retained its 

 brilliancy, I began slowly counting, and counted up to twenty befoi-e there 

 was any noticeable diminution of luminosity. The last portion visible was 

 the end opposite the pointed end, which appeared as a faintly luminous patch 

 as large as the apparent disk of the moon. I consider that, from its first ap- 

 pearance, it was visible from 80 to 100 seconds. " A. Balding." 



"Wisbech [Sunday], Oct. 11, 1874." 



A bright fireball was also seen in Hampshire on the 16th of September, 

 1874, of which the journal ' Nature' contained the following descriptiou ; — 



" Meteor. 



" The following is an account of a brilliant meteor which appeared at 

 8.53 r.M. on Wednesday, Sept. 16 :— 



" Size : about four times that of Jupiter. 



" Colour : blue, with a red tail. 



" Brightness : throwing a shadow deeper than that of a full moon. 



" Angular measurement of tail : from 12° to 15°. 



" Duration : about 15". 



" Direction of course : N.W. 



" Zenith distance of point of disappearance : 75°. 



" The brilliancy of the tail threw a red light on the surrounding land- 

 scape."— if«<in-e, Sept. 24th, 1874. " G. H. Hopkins." 



" Bisterne Close, Burley, Hants, Sept. 16." 



II. L.VEGE Meteors. 



The largest fireball seen in England during the past year appears to have 

 been that of September 1st, 1874. Some descriptions of this fireball are 

 given in the last, and in the list at the end of this Appendix. Of the remain- 

 ing fireballs in the list but little general notice appears to have been taken ; 

 but it is assumed, with considerable probability, that the two seen in England 

 on the 9th of March and 12th of April, 1875, coincide with large fireballs 

 seen in Erance on those dates, of which sufficient particulars for comparison 

 with these accounts have not yet been received. Of the unusually large 

 meteor of February 10th, 1875, generally observed in Erance, numberless 

 accounts, it is reported ('Nature,' vol. xi. p. 413), were received at the Ob- 



