Miscellanies. 171 



full. It is generally admitted, that it requires, at least, three observers to 

 note all, and that the full moon obscures two thirds or three fourths of 

 those which would be visible in its absence. In the present case, we may 

 safely say, that one half were rendered invisible by the light of the moon. 

 On the night of the 10th, one observer saw 140, in 5h. 15m. [and 122 of 

 them in 4h. 15m.] Three observers would have seen 420 during the 

 same time, [and in the absence of the moon, 840.] On the night of 

 Nov. 12, 1837, four observers saw at New Haven, 223 in five hours ; the 

 moon at that time obscuring, perhaps, one fourth more than in the 

 present case. 



" On the night of the 9th, the centre of radiation appeared to be near 

 a point in R. A. 35° N. D. 69°. The more extended observations of 

 the following night led me to place it somewhere between this point and 

 e Cassiopeiae. I have more confidence in this conclusion, as on the night 

 of the 10th, the meteors were more abundant, and several large ones started 

 from near the radiating point. I can say with certainty that this point 

 lay somewhere within the triangle formed by the three stars e, », and ^J 

 Cassiopeiae. From this point radiated at least three fourths of all the 

 meteors seen on the nights of the 9th and 10th. Of the meteors thus 

 radiating two thirds had trains. It was remarkable that of all those which 

 had trains, there was but one which did not move from the radiating point. 

 As this point was during most of the time of observation somewhere be- 

 tween 20° and 60° above the horizon, and as the meteors generally made 

 their appearance at more than 30° from this point, we should conclude 

 that but kw would be observed to fall directly towards the horizon. This 

 was the case during the two nights. About fifteen were seen to descend 

 towards the north ; the remainder either rose, passing near the zenith, or 

 moved towards the south in lines nearly parallel to the horizon. The 

 field of view during the nights of 9th and 10th, was the northern and 

 northwestern part of the heavens, including on the right the constellation 

 Cassiopeia and extending 10° or 15° south of the zenith. From 3h. to 

 4h. on the morning. of the 11th, I hardly noticed one which did not come 

 from the radiating point. None of the meteors seen on previous nights 

 (between July 28th and August 6th inclusive) seemed to have a common 

 centre of radiation. As to magnitudes, it may be observed that the me- 

 teors were of two very distinct classes ; — one composed of such meteors 

 as are visible upon every clear night. This class contained one fourth of 

 the whole number seen, and were distinguished by their small size, (not 

 exceeding stars of the third magnitude,) by their unconformable direc- 

 tions, and their greater velocity. The other class, containing the remain- 

 ing three fourths, were all as large as stars of the second magnitude, and 

 half them were equal in size to Venus as she now appears as the morning 

 star. Of this class, but one had a direction which could be called un- 

 conformable, and at least two thirds of them had trains. Most of the 



