160 REPORT — 1877. 



reprojecting all the Draconids of Aug. 6-14, 1870-73 (14 meteors), which he 

 had observed, Mr. Clark obtained from them a good centre point at 276°, + 55°, 

 showing them all to have proceeded from a radiant-point near o Draconis. 



1876, Aug. 13th, 10 h r.M. local time, New Plymouth, New Zealand. — " A 

 singular discharge of small meteors was seen here on the 13th inst. [August 

 1876] from the E.N.E., which lasted an horn-, at about 10 h p.m. A person 

 to he trusted told me that there was a very brilliant one afterwards, over 

 the sea, very near the horizon. They appeared to descend in all directions." 

 — Letter from Mr. AVm. Crompton, communicated to Mr. Glaisher by Mr. J. 

 Crompton, Bracondale, Norwich. 



The time of this shower corresponds to about Aug. 13th, 10 h a.m., mean 

 time at Greenwich. The shower cannot have been a branch stream of the 

 August Persei'd-showcr, as the radiant-point of that shower near n Persei' was 

 35 degrees below the N.E. horizon at New Plymouth at the time of the oc- 

 currence. The stars e Pegasi and a, ft Aquarii were about 20° or 30° above 

 the N.E. and E.N.E. horizon when the phenomenon was observed, and it may 

 have been from these constellations that a flight of more numerous and fre- 

 cpient meteors than usual was directed. 



1876, Aug. 23rd. — Mr. T. W. Backhouse observed several shooting-stars 

 on this night. Out of 15 tracks mapped, 4 and perhaps 7 appeared to be 

 Persei'ds ; some others were swift meteors, and they probably belonged to the 

 radiant No. 78 in Greg's list, 1874. 



1876, Sept. 21st. — A good centre of radiation of several extremely small 

 meteors was noticed by Mr. H. Corder, at Writtlo in Esses, on this night, at 

 352°-5,-r-16°-5, in Pegasus; and it was the most conspicuous centre of di- 

 vergence of ordinary meteors which he noticed during August, September, 

 and October. The following list includes all the results of his observations 

 for some months up to the latter date *. 



"Radiants in Jvhj. — Upper part of Aquila and of Cygnus ; near a 

 Aquarii (on the 29th) ; two radiants in Lyra ; west part of Pegasus ; and 

 Cepheus. 



"Radiants in August. — On the 9th, 15 [?5] Vulpecuke, y Cephei ; on 

 the 10th, Perseus, e Pegasi ; on the 11th, Cygnus. 



" Radiants in September. — Lacerta (17th, 21st, and 23rd), principally small 

 meteors; I Cygni (20th and 21st): Pegasus, 352°-5, + 16°-5, or +17° (on 

 the 21st; ten of the smallest meteors on this date); near Polaris (near the 

 end of the month). 



"Radiants in October. — Near Polaris (nearly every night to about the 

 18th). Near ft Tauri, or a little south of ft (13th and 16th), rather large 

 orange meteors with trains and long courses. Numbers of small meteors from 

 Aries, Musca, Triangulum, and Lacerta, those from Aries generally getting 

 brighter. Cassiopeia (14th-18th), nearly all 3rd and 4th magnitude, with 

 short courses near the radiant ; very white, frequently brightening ; a very 

 distinct family. The end of the month quite overcast. 



On September 21st, in 2£ hours, 43 meteors ; 12 to 30 per hour. 

 On October 14th, in 2^ hours, 36 „ 16 per hour. 



October 13th-18th (inclusive) 106 ,, about 9 per hour. 



* A brief account of these observations was given by Mr. Corder in the 'Astronomical 

 Register ' (November 1876). Mr. Denning was noting meteors on the night of September 

 21st, somewhat earlier than the hour (from 8' 1 15 m to ll h p.m.) of Mr. Corder's watch, 

 when small meteors were plentiful at Writtle, and he recorded them as rare on that night 

 during the hour when he observed. The marked prc\ alence of small meteors from Pegasus 

 must therefore either have been local, or have presented itself later on that night than 

 during the period of Mr. Denning's watch. 



