390 Miscellanies. 



III. Observations at Yale College. 



The preceding day had been rainy, and early the same night the 

 sky was overcast; but before midnight, the firmament became cloud- 

 less, and the stars shone with uncommon brilliancy. My expecta- 

 tion of a repetition of the meteoric shower at this place was so slight, 

 that I had made little preparation for observing the heavens, although 

 I looked out frequently after midnight. About half past three o'clock, 

 finding that the meteors began to appear in unusual numbers, I di- 

 rected my attention towards the eastern part of the heavens, whence 

 they appeared mostly to proceed, and closely watched the stars from 

 the Great Bear on the north, to Canis Major on the south, embracing 

 in my field of view about one third of the firmament. 



It was soon discovered that nearly all the meteors shot in direc- 

 tions which, on being traced back, met in one and the same point near 

 the eye of Leo. For a quarter of an hour from half past three 

 o'clock, I counted twenty two meteors, of which all but three ema- 

 nated from the above radiant point. Ten left luminous trains ; 

 twelve were without trains ; and the three that did not conform to 

 the general direction, moved perceptibly slower than the others. 

 The greatest part shot off to the right and left of the radiant, the 

 majority tending south towards the Heart of Hydra. The next fif- 

 teen minutes afforded but seven meteors, and the number gradually 

 declined until daylight. 



The exact position of the radiant was near a small star forming the 

 apex of a triangle with the two bright stars in the face of Leo, hav- 

 ing a Right ascension of 145, and Declination of 25 degrees.* Its 

 place therefore was very nearly the same as in 1834, differing only 

 half a degree in Right Ascension ; and all the phenomena very much 

 resembled those observed that year, except that they were on a scale 

 somewhat inferior. 



IV. Observations at New York. From the Nciu Yorlc Ameri- 

 can of Nov. 15th. 



" The annual recurrence of this phenomenon being a subject of 

 ■much interest, the undersigned kept a careful watch on the night of 

 Saturday and morning of Sunday last, and is gratified in being able 

 to announce the re-appearance of this phenomenon with considerable 

 brilliancy. 



* This position of the " radiant," as observed here in 1833, was in R. A. 150°, 

 pec. 20° ; in 1834, R. A, 144° 30', Dec. 30° 15'. 



