Astronomy. 317 
Ill. Astronomy. 
1, Meteors of November 27th, 1872, and Biela’s Comet.— 
From various parts of Europe the accounts of the meteors con- 
tinue to come to us. Schiaparelli and Padre Denza have given to 
the &. Inst. Lombardo a summary of the observations received 
by them (Rendiconti, vol. 5, Fasc. 20), and Prof. Tacchini has 
published those made in Sicily. In the Wochenschrift Prof. Heis 
has published a large number of accounts, especially those of 
observers in Germany. ~ 
One interesting question, whether or not the comet observed 
by Pogson at Madras on the 2d and 3d of December can be one o 
the fragments of Biela’s comet, is discussed by Klinkerfus (Astron. 
Notices, Jan., 1873), Peters, Holetschek and Oppolzer (Astron. 
Nach., 1917 and 1920). Perhaps the most satisfactory treat- 
ho , a 
that the comet during that time moved 1° 40’ in declination, and 
14" 36° in right ascension. More places are needed to give t 1e 
orbit of the comet. Can these two be represented by an orbit 
like that of Biela? On the one hand, Klinkerfus asked Pogson 
ap 
perturbations. Through the last 20 years Jupiter has kept at a 
considerable distance from them, an nis influence has been 
that what Mr. Pogson saw was a metegric aggregation traveling 
on the track of the comet, but far behind it. In fact, it seems t 
main body, perhaps, long ago. The size of the nucleus seen by 
Mr. Pogson was comparable to that of the moon, allowing for the 
probable distance of the comet. It took us over six hours to cross 
the dense part of the meteor stream on the 27th of November. 
Had its thickness been only equal to that of the moon’s diameter, 
the shower would have lasted about 10 minutes. : 
ors seen on the evening of Nov. 24th appear to have 
belonged to still another stream of fragments from Biela’s comet, 3 
Since they were not to be seen in so great numbers on the evening 
of the 25th, Possibly the Pogson comet belonged to that stream, 
