210 Miscellanies. 



Rochester, N. Y. — A notice signed W. G., and published in the West- 

 ern New Yorker, Rochester, Nov. 22, states that at that place, " the eve- 

 nings of the 12th, 13th and 14th were covered with clouds, except at in- 

 tervals, and during these a bright moon prevented observation. On the 

 morning of the 15th, during the short interval that elapsed between the 

 setting of the moon and daylight, a large number were observed — in one 

 instance no less than six or seven at a time, and scattering ones continued 

 to fall until the light of the morning hid them from view. They all 

 seemed to start from about the same point in the heavens as in former 

 observations, viz. in the N. E., at an elevation of about 60° ; and their 

 movement was to the S. E., though there were a few exceptions. At the 

 rate they fell during the few minutes they were observed, the number 

 would be from 150 to 200 in an hour." 



It must be remembered, however, that it is not safe to infer the hourly 

 number of meteors, from observations continued only a few minutes. It 

 often happens that after a barren interval of many minutes, two, three or 

 more meteors will appear in rapid succession, to be followed by another 

 barren interval of considerable duration. E. C. H. 



8. Meteoric Observations in December, 1842. — From the 4th to the 13th 

 of this month, the weather here has, with few exceptions, been exceedingly 

 unfavorable for celestial observation. Since the year 1838, the meteoric 

 display of December 6-7 has apparently failed ; but the weather has 

 scarcely permitted us here to determine the question as regards the pres- 

 ent year. The evenings of Dec. 4, 5, 6, 8, 11, 12, and 13, were over- 

 cast. On the 7th and 9th I watched alone soon after dark, for about half 

 an hour, and saw each time only two or three meteors. The moon was 

 shining, and the sky partly obscured. On the evening of the 10th, Mr. 

 Bradley and myself watched an hour, ending 7h. 15m. P. M., and saw 

 but three meteors. During this hour the moon was faintly shining, and 

 the sky about two thirds obscured. The mornings of the 10th, 11th, 

 and 12th were overcast. 



In a letter published in L'Institict, No. 422, M. Colla states that at 

 Parma, the number of shooting stars visible Dec. 6-7, 1841, was uncom- 

 monly small. On the nights of the 10th and 11th, however, he observed 

 at that place, an unusually large number of these meteors. In half an 

 hour during the night of the 11th, he counted in the northern quarter, 

 23 very brilliant meteors, nearly all of them having luminous trains. 

 Their general direction was from S. to N. An assistant reported that 

 the next morning meteors pursuing the same direction were uncommonly 

 abundant. A similar phenomenon was, according to M. Colla, remark- 

 ed at Parma in 1833 and 1836, on the same night, viz. Dec. 11-12. 



In the same letter M. Colla mentions several other remarkable occurren- 

 ces of shooting stars in 1842, viz. July 22 ; Aug. 9-12, 24 or 25 ; Sept. 10, 



