Fireball observed near Auchterardcr, Perthshire. 71 



The Edinburgh newspapers of 17th February, contained the 

 following note copied from the " St Andrews Gazette" : — 



" St Andrews — Brilliant Meteor. — On Friday night, the 13th 

 February, about a quarter before twelve o'clock, a magnificent meteor 

 passed over the centre of the town, talcing a north-easterly direction. It 

 appeared to be in the lower atmosphere, extended about a degree in 

 length, and was visible for about one minute. It was of a brilliant red 

 appearance, with very bright flame-like flashes in front." — St Andrews 

 Gazette, Feb. 1863. 



This was therefore apparently the same meteor which was 

 observed passing over Edinburgh a short time before, on its 

 course across the Firth of Forth to St Andrews, and the 

 north-east. 



For details of luminous meteors I refer the members to the 

 various works on meteorology, and to the valuable Catalogues 

 that have been published, especially that by Mr R. P. Greg, 

 F.G.S., of Manchester, and the Report of the British Asso- 

 ciation for 1860 ; I also beg to recommend the members to 

 put on record all appearances of the kind that may come 

 under their observation, so that from the accumulation of 

 numerous facts, meteorologists may at last be able to educe 

 some general laws on this at present dark and mysterious 

 subject. 



In conclusion, I may add the following notes of the fall 

 of a fireball which occurred a good many years ago, and 

 were taken down by me from the description of one of the 

 spectators of this curious phenomenon : — 



On a Sunday evening in the beginning of October of the 

 year 1825 or 1826, two carpenters, George Easton and Robert 

 Lawrie, were returning from their homes near Melrose, to 

 be ready to commence their work on the following Monday 

 morning, at the building of the new house of Hollylee, a 

 little below Innerleithen, on the banks of the river Tweed. 

 They were walking between eight and nine o'clock in the 

 evening, on the road, up the river side, which here runs 

 nearly east and west, the weather being fresh and calm, but 

 dark, when suddenly the country was lighted up behind 

 them, and looking back they saw a ball of fire, apparently 

 about the size of a bee-hive, which came at a slow rate from 

 the north-east over the hill top on the left of the valley, 



