302 Miscellaneous Intelligence. 
4, Shooting Stars of Dec. 10th-13th, 1862.—Mr. Bengamin V. Manse 
writes from Philadelphia, that on the evening of the 10th of December, 
between 10454 and 11, he noticed about half a dozen brilliant meteors. 
They radiated from the vicinity of Castor and Pollux. The next morn- 
ing, during the half hour, 4" to 434, they were not remarkable for num- 
ber or brilliancy, but all radiated from the same vicin ity. 
n the morning of the 12th, Prof. Gummere and Mr. Battey saw at 
Haverford, Pa., 28 in 1} hours, ‘nearly all of which radiated from a point 
about midw ay ‘between Castor and Pollux 
Mr. Marsh adds, “the report which Mr. George Wood made on the 
11th Dee., 1861, (this Journal, xxxiil, p. 149,) would agree very well with 
this radiant, so that I think there is strong reason to conclude that from 
the 10th to the 12th of December the meteors mostly belong to oné 
group radiating from the vicinity of Castor and Pollux. Is it not prob- 
VII. MISCELLANEOUS SCIENTIFIC INTELLIGENCE. 
pe Scienti fic application of the Metric System of Weights and Meas- 
ures.—The establishment of the International Decimal Association in the 
year Tse) has at length resulted in the nt Bison nt of a Committee ee of 
merous witnesses of great eminence, has seniiad to Parliament a repor m e 
recommending the adoption, throughout the British Empire an and an . 
iste 
dence of 39 witnesses and an analytical index, forms a “blue hse 
nearly 300 pages. Besides matters of the utmost importance whee 
to the improvement of education, the pro f domestic adi and 
foreign commerce, and the advance of the general interests of ioe 
it merits the attention of all who are engaged in scientific pursuits ¢ : 
account of its statements in regard to the progress of the Metric Sy: 
among chemists, physiologists, and other philosophers. The witnesses ic 
se testimony relates to this subject, are, Thomas Graham, F.BS 
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missioners appointed by the British Government to restore chitectite 
in University College, Fonds and a Juror of the international Bxbibi, - 
tion; Dr. Bolley, Director of the Polytechnic School and nicole 7 
Paar oe, at Zurich. The testimony of these gentlemen 8 > 3 
lowing effe in 
Within rite last oa years = Metric System has m ade great P oe 
in the British Islands so that it is used almost exclave in che 
“pursuits. It now nine a sort of common scientific language U0 
“everywhere. Papers published in England = = national 
and measures are neglected on the continent, being so far unin 
Scientific men generally look forward to the seein adoption of fi at 
‘system, being of opinion that no other can prevail. It begins : 
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