354 On Meteoric Showers in August. 
Arr. XX.—Further proof of an annual Meteoric Shower in 
August, with remarks on Shooting Stars in general; by Ep- 
warp C. Herrick. 
In a hasty communication published in the last number of this 
Journal, I stated my conviction of the high probability, that there | 
generally occurs on or about the 9th of August in every year, a 
remarkably large number of shooting stars. In support of that 
opinion, it was shown that such a meteoric shower had been ob- 
served at that period, in at least six different instances. Since that 
article was written, I have continued the search, and have had the 
gratification of finding several additional facts, which confirm the 
proposition. ‘These will be here recited. 
(1.) Mr. 'T. Forster, in his Pocket Encyclopedia of Natural 
Phenomena, &c. 12mo. London, 1827, has a short article on me- 
teors, which he divides into three classes. Of the third kind he 
says, “They are generally small, and of a bluish-white color, but 
their peculiar characteristic is that of leaving long white trains be- 
hind them, which remain visible for some seconds, in the tract in 
which the meteors have gone.” * * * “ These kind of meteors 
abounded on the night of 10th August, 1811, after a showery day.” 
Part I. p. 40. In the same work, (p. 298,) in the Rustic Calen- 
dar, under date of August 10, he remarks, “ Falling stars and me- 
teors most abound about this time of year ;’—and refers to Calen- 
dar at end of Researches about Atmos. Phenom., and to the Pe- 
rennial Calendar. Neither of these works is at my command. 
This ‘ Encyclopedia’ is made up chiefly from manuscripts left by 
the author’s father, T, F. Forster, Esq. who was long distinguished: 
as an assiduous meteorologist. 
(2.) In the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of 
London, Vol. 70, (1780) is a letter from Sir William Hamilton, de- 
scribing a series of eruptions of Vesuvius witnessed by him in the 
month of August, 1779. Not having. access to the original Trans- 
actions, I quote the following extracts from that letter, through 
Dodsley’s Annual Register, for 1780. London. Svo. 
“1779. August 9. Upon the whole, this day’s eruption was very alarming: 
until the lava broke out about two o’clock, and ran three miles between the two 
mountains, we were in continual apprehension of some fatal event. It continued 
to run about three hours, during which time every other symptom of the moun- 
tain-fever gradually abated, and at seven o'clock at night all was calm. It was 
