Astronomy. — .139 
For. the purpose of comparison, Mr. Miller with some of his scholars 
observed on the night of December 12, 1860, and during 3 hours and 40 
minutes ending at midnight, they saw 180 different shooting stars, 
tributed as follows, vi viz: 
a 8. ‘E. W: 
82 20" to 9h P.M. 13 8 5 4 80 
9 ee ee : 13 8 a“ ] 34 
10 sas Lo" 30 7 -9 56 
11 hea 16 15 2t 8 60 
It should be remembered that the season from December 6th onward 
a few days is one in which shooting stars are sometimes unusually 
_ humerous. (See this Jour. th XXxv, 3 
(5.) Bloomington, Ind.—In a letter to the Editors of this Journal, 
Prof. Daniel Kirkwood of the aren State University writes as follows : 
“ Assisted by several members of the Senior Class, I kept an incessant 
watch for meteors during six hours on the night of ‘the 12th inst. (No- 
vember, 1860.) The number of observers was at no time less than five, 
so that the entire hemisphere was kept in view. The first to notice the 
<7 tape of a meteor announced it aloud, that it might not be counted 
ore than once. The whole number seen was 381, as 5 follows: 
From 10h to llAPuw. . - - - - 45 
ip «oy 6 S - 66 
(so ey > é : <i 08 
Breet egies’ ; . . - - 66 
PO ey wie ; ‘ - 90 
Se SEY Se . ; ; “ at 
About one half of those seen after one o’clock appeared to diveid from 
the usual oils n Leo 
5. Na the American Expedition to VN. W. British America, 
to observe the total Solar Eclipse o July 18th, 1860; written by Wm. 
Ferrer, and communicated by Capt. Dav vis, U.S. N., Superinten- 
dent of the Nautical Almanac.—The party consisted of two assistants 
sent from Pe Nautical Almanac Office, and of Mr. S. H. Sendder, of 
as sent by the Museum of Comparative Zoology to make 
collections in "Nataral History, and who was also engaged to assist in 
making observations on the day of the eclipse. Leaving Boston and 
Cambridge at different times, the members of the party met at St. Paul 
on the 14th of June. Engaging a wel here on Mr. Barbenke line 
aed n the 
