﻿1874.] H. B. Modlicott—Becord of the Khairjytir Ilelcorife. 35 



2, " It is difficult to estimate the size of the meteor, as it was more a 

 cluster of meteors, each one far exceeding the size and brightness of a star 

 of the first magnitude, than a ' fireball.' The breadth of the train left behind 

 them must have been from 3° to 5°. A^enus was at the time about 25° 

 above the horizon and very bright, but she was thrown quite in the shade 

 when compared with tlie brightness of the meteor. 



" Its first appearance in the west, towards which the observer's face 

 happened to be turned, was so like a rocket which had reached its height 

 and was just bursting, that the first impression was that some one in a 

 distant village was amusing himself, at that early hour, with one that 

 had remained over from a last night's display : but this idea was speedily 

 dispelled, as, instead of dying out, it rapidly increased in brightness and 

 continued to move on towards the observer, leaving a tail or train behind 

 it. Its motion was not very rapid but steady, and b}^ the time it had 

 reached about 10° of the meridian, which it passed south of zenith, it 

 assumed an exceedingly brilliant appearance, the larger fragments glowing 

 with an intense white light with perhaps a shade of green, taking the lead 

 in a cluster, surrounded and followed by a great number of smaller ones, 

 each drawing a train after it, which blending together formed a broad belt 

 brilliant fiery red. At this time it lit up the whole country, casting deep 

 shadows . and having the eff'ect produced by the electric light. In this 

 way it proceeded until it reached a point nearly due east, paling again a 

 little as it drew near the horizon, when, about 20° above it, it appeared to 

 go out, rather than to fall. 



" The train it left continued very bright for some time and was distinctly 

 traceable for more than three quarters of an hour afterwards ; at first 

 changing to a dull red, then, as the morning broke, to a line of silvery gray 

 clouds which broke up into separate portions and floated away on the wind. 



3. " From the rough diagram attached, it will be noticed that the 

 course of the meteor was unusually long, extending through very nearly 

 180°, its first appearance, as sketched, was as near as possible in a spot 

 close to the star Algenib, which was just faintly visible, about 15° above the 

 horizon in the west. It then passed close under Orion, the lowest star of 

 which (Eigel) was very near if not on the meridian, and disappeared on the 

 other, east side, about the same height from the horizon as it was noticed 

 at, in the beginning of its course. 



" For some time after the meteor had disappeared, but while the train 

 still continued to attract notice, there was perfect stillness which was 

 interrupted by a loud report followed by a long reverberation which 

 gradually died away like the roll of distant thunder. 



" The report seemed to come from the south, in which direction there 

 was a tope of Pepuls, about quarter of a mile off, but one man, who was a 



