from Mazapil, Mexico. 55 



Jn England, the observations were exclusively those of Alex- 

 ander llerschel. The phenomenon was not less noteworthy thaa 

 in France or Italy. To give farther observations would be a 

 useless repetition. 



The great display of meteors of Nov. 27th, 1885, is even more 

 im])ortant than that just described ; 1st, — Because it lasted a 

 longer time, since it was observed over the whole world ; 2nd, 

 — Because of the greater number of meteors seen. 



In " L' Astronomic," (published in Paris, by Camille Flam- 

 marion,) Nov., 1885, "Falling Stars" were noted as one of 

 the i)rincipal observations to be made during the month (]). 

 439). " On the nights of the 27th, 28th and 29th of November, 

 there will be seen a great number of luminous bodies which re- 

 late to the comet of Biela-Gambart, and which caused in 1872 

 the great shower of falling stars. The line enclosing the region 

 whence they emanate is very irregular, and the centre is found 

 not far from the double star Gamma- Andromedoey From this 

 notice, all astronomers prepared to study the phenomenon. 



This prediction was fully confirmed, as was also the conjecture 

 that these meteors belonged to the disintegrated comet of Biela, 



I quote from the " Comptes rendues" of Dec. 7th, 1885, p, 

 1210, papers by M. Flammarion, to the Academy of Sciences, 

 of Paris : — **Let me note the observations made by the Flamma- 

 rion Scientific Societies of Marseilles, Brussels and Jaen, From 

 these three points, so distant from each other, they agree as to 

 the magnificence of the sight and in fixing upon 6 P. M. (Paris 

 time), as the hour of maximum number. (This would be 11 A. 

 M. in Zacatecas.) 



" M. Bruguiere, president of the first mentioned of these so- 

 cieties, counted nearly 4000 meteors in ten minutes, emanating 

 f I'om three radial points, the most imjiortant being near Gamma- 

 Andromedae. 



'* M. Vuilmet, of Brussels, states that the spectacle was a mar- 

 vellous one, that at 6 P. M. the sky was literally aflame, and 

 with watch in hand one observer counted 160 meteors per minute 

 in a single quarter of the heavens. M. Folache, in Jaeii, records 

 the magnificent sight which the sky presented as " traversed in 

 every direction by a multitude of falling stars," 



