328 On the Meteors of 13th November, 1833. 
Buffalo, N. Y. and one at Concord, N. H. make mention of ascend- 
ing meteors. ‘To account for this silence, if indeed the radiant oc- 
cupied at any time so low a position (where of course, by reason of 
the early hour, it would be seen by only a few observers) let it be no- 
ted that the meteors, after traversing a certain space in the atmosphere, 
invariably became extinct: Those meteors therefore which should 
be looked for below the radiant and near the horizon would generally 
become extinct beyond the limits of horizontal vision; while those near 
the radiant, by reason of the near coincidence of their motion with the 
line of vision, would be very short, and, of course scarcely noticed. 
On the other hand those meteors above the radiant which might as- 
sume ascending directions and which did not, on account of their 
proximity to the radiant, appear so short, as to escape notice, for the 
greater part, from common observers, would start high in the heavens 
and pass towards or through the zenith of the spectator, or high up 
towards it on either side. ‘These, from their situation relatively to 
the eye, would exhibit long and brilliant flights, and would attract the 
observer’s principal attention and give the predominant impression— 
the character of the scene: but these long and brilliant meteors, 
passing indeed from a lower altitude to a higher, but still in that part 
of the heavens which lies over head and which the eye estimates as 
level with the ground would be invariably estimated and spoken of. 
by a common observer as moving level. This consideration the 
writer had occasion to notice particularly ; for, on putting the ques- 
tion to intelligent observers who witnessed the display early or late, 
‘¢ did any meteors shoot upwards?” the reply invariably was that they 
did not; but on varying the question to this, ‘ did any shoot from 
the radiant towards the zenith?” the reply, wherever any recollection 
of the subject was entertained, was always, “that they did.” It may 
be well to remark here that the meteors did, undoubtedly, shoot con- 
tinually upon every side of the radiant. Mr. Palmer, who has been 
quoted already as authority upon some other parts of the subject, 
states that during certain hours of the night, the number which shot 
from the radiant towards the zenith was greater than the number in 
any other one direction. Little is therefore to be inferred, in con- 
trariety to the idea of a fixed position of the point of radiation, from 
the general silence respecting upward motions. 
It has been mentioned already that Capt. Seymour at half past 
two o’clock, in Tappan bay, saw the radiant in the S. E. at 45° of 
elevation. As the point of Leo, which the radiant occupied towards 
morning was at half past two o’clock 37° high, it might be naturally 
