408 THE BEAUTIES OF NATURE chap. 



first appearance of the phenomenon, there was 

 not in the firmament a space equal in extent 

 to three diameters of the moon which was not 

 filled every instant with bolides and falling 

 stars. The first were fewer in number, but 

 as they were of different sizes it was impos- 

 sible to fix the limit between these two classes 

 of phenomena. All these meteors left lumi- 

 nous traces from five to ten degrees in length, 

 as often happens in the equinoctial regions. 

 The phosphorescence of these traces, or lumi- 

 nous bands, lasted seven or eight seconds. 

 Many of the falling stars had a very distinct 

 nucleus, as large as the disc of Jupiter, from 

 which darted sparks of vivid light. The 

 bodies seemed to burst as by explosion; but 

 the largest, those from 1° to 1° 15' in diameter, 

 disappeared without scintillation, leaving be- 

 hind them phosphorescent bands (trabes), 

 exceeding in breadth fifteen or twenty min- 

 utes. The light of these meteors was white, 

 and not reddish, which must doubtless be 

 attributed to the absence of vapour and the 

 extreme transparency of the air." ^ 



1 Humboldt, Travels. 



