E. F. Sawyer— Radiant Points of Meteors. 471 
during the past year a certain weight has been attached to each 
meteor mapper showing the accuracy of the path recorded, on a 
scale of one to four, and its corresponding value used in deduc- 
ing the centers of radiation and the results are believed to be 
as “nearly correct as the number of meteors recorded and the 
nature of the estore wil allow. Observations were taken 
nearly every fair night in the absence of the moonlight, but 
were confined principally to the evening hours, between 6 and 
LisP. M. e exceptions were morning watches in April, 
1878, August, 1877-8, and November, 1877-8, for the appear- 
ance ‘of the Lyraids, Perseidg, and Leonids. With the excep- 
evening’s observations, or those of a few open at most), has 
been used. The positions deduced from less than four meteors 
(of which there were a large number), have been rejected. In 
giving were to the different positions deduced by me, observ- 
uld bear in mind that the small number of meteors, 
Fesékdod | in many of the cases, result from one or more of the 
following causes : 
The shortness of the period from which each shower is 
deduced, averaging about five days, the average period of most 
observers being from twenty to thirty days. IL To the gen- 
erally unfavorable hours, between which the observations were 
taken, before midnight, when meteors are much less abundant, 
than during the morning hours. IIL To the small number of 
Corresponding Sonera se of the 6 same meteors are doubt- 
less of great value in determining the heights, etce., of the 
meteors, as well as “thede radiant points, and during the latter 
part of last August, the writer together with Mr. Seth C. Chand- 
ler, Jr., made a series of observations at stations some seventy 
miles apart ; the reduction of the same is now being done by Mr. 
Chandler. 
Another series has been partly arranged and carried out by 
the writer and Mr. Oliver C. Wendell of Lowell, Mass., and 
hoped that other observers will, during the coming 
year, be found willing to engage in this important work. 
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