441 
SCIENTIFIC SUMMARY. 
ASTRONOMY. 
nnilE Meteors of the 10 th"of August , 1867. — Tlie 'observations wbicb were 
made at Rome have been reported to the French Academy, in a paper 
communicated by Father Secchi on the 2nd of September. The author regrets 
that his observations are not so complete as they might have been, owing 
to the fact that the epidemic of cholera caused many of his assistants to 
leave Rome. The following are the results arrived at when the Moon’s 
light was sufficiently dim to allow observations to be made : — 
h. m. 
August 11th. 2 11 
2 25 
2 46 
3 00 
3 20 
3 30 
to b. m. Number of meteors. 
„ 2 25 15 
„ 2 46 16 
„ 3 00 15 
„ 3 20 21 
„ 3 30 8 
., 3 45 11 
Thus 86 meteors were seen in ninety-four minutes. On the following day 
the numbers were as follows : — 
b. m. to b. m. Number of meteors. 
3 15 „ 3 30 15 
3 30 „ 3 45 11 
3 30(F),, 3 46 3 
“Thus, there were 29 meteors observed in thirty-one minutes.” The 
hourly numbers of the two days were respectively 54-9 and 42-6. The 
meteors seemed to radiate from the space between Perseus and Cassiopeia, 
but many of them were sporadic. 
A Stellar Spectroscope of extreme simplicity, and which may be adapted to 
any ordinary telescope, has been devised by Signor Secchi. Amateurs may 
henceforth, therefore, pursue spectroscopic investigation of the stars with 
a considerable degree of accuracy. The combination he has devised consists 
of a prism and cylindrical lens, and forms a spectroscopic eyepiece. M. 
Secretan adapted it to a telescope with an aperture of only 95 millimetres, 
and with this arrangement Signor Secchi was able to observe and examine 
the principal spectral bands of stars of the 1st and 2nd magnitude. 
a-Herculis and /3-Pegasus were examined with ease, and the atmospheric 
rays of the planet Jupiter were clearly seen. 
The August Meteors have also been examined by MM. Coulvier-Gravier 
and Chapelas, who have come to a different conclusion to that of M. Secchi 
as to their relative number in this and in former years. These observers 
