ach. idiet reat Aicount of 
painted: protuberance behind, From fuchi changes of sfigmecniid 
this and other: meteors it 1s,_ that: they have been. compared to : 
columns. ‘or. pyramids: of: fire, comets, barrels, bottles,  flatkss 
paper-kites, trumpets, | tadpoles, glafs-drops, quoits, torches, 
javelins, goats, and many fimilar objets; whence the multi- 
farious appellations given to them is the ancients were ‘bone 
rowed. werk 
-. Ref{pecting the ok se meteors, it is-here ocala to SiQits 
euith between two different parts of which they confift, . The 
brighteft portion feems to be of the fame nature as the body, 
and indeed an elongation of the matter compofing it; but the 
other, and that commonly the largeft portion, might more 
properly be. called the train, appearing to be a matter left be- 
hind after the meteor has pafled; it is far lefs lummous than 
the former. part, and often. only of a dull or dufky red colour. 
A fimilar. train or ftreak 1s not: unfrequently left: by one of the 
common falling ftars, efpecially of the brighter fort; and vef- 
tiges. of it ‘fometimes remain for feveral minutes. It often 
happens, that even the large fire-balls have no other tail but — 
this train, and ours of the 18th ef Auguft appeared at times te 
be in that {tate ; its tail was likewite sit by fome er 
to be dpiral. 
Under this changeable com) but fill as a Genii body, it 
proceeded regularly till.a certain period, when expanding with - 
a great-imcreafe of light, it feparated into:a clufter of {maller 
bodies or ovals, each extended into a tail and producing a train, 
At the fame time a great number of {parks appeared to rflue 
from it in various directions, but moitly downward, fome of 
which weredo bright:as alfo to leave a fmall train. Moft fire- 
balls have fuffered a burfting or explofion of this kind; but 
in general they haye been thought to difappear immediately 
s, altecwane 
