204 
the atmosphere to the motion of bodies which, wandering 
through space, become entangled by the earth’s attraction. I 
endeavoured to show that at a very considerable elevation there 
would be sufficient air to cause the liquefaction and even 
vaporisation by heat of bodies moving at a velocity so enorm- 
ous as must be assigned to them if arrested in their motion 
through space. Latterly new facts have been collected by 
the Committee of the British Association, and also new 
experiments in physics have been made bearing on the 
subject. My object is now to investigate these to see how 
far they confirm, oppose, or modify my original opinion. 
In the Keport of the Association for 1862 we have the 
following results for five remarkable meteors : — 
Height at 
Date. 
Beginning. 
Bud. 
Velocity. 
1861— July 16. 
... 195 .... 
.. 65 .. 
.... 55 
Aug. 6. 
... 126 .... 
.. 21 . 
.... 35 
Nov. 12. 
... 95 .... 
.. 20 .. 
.... 48 
Nov. 19. 
... 55 .... 
.. 30 .. 
.... 24 
Dec. 8. 
... 110 .... 
.. 45 .. 
.... 23 
1862— Jan. 28. 
... 44 .... 
.. 47 .. 
.... 46 
Feb. 2. 
... 190 .... 
.. 15 .. 
.... 39 
Average 
... 116 .... 
.. 35 .. 
.... 39 
Simultaneous observations at Hawkhurst and Cambridge 
of the meteors of August 10th of the present year give for 
the average of 10 — 81 66 34 
The above results give us a very good idea of the 
height and velocity of meteors. The observations are attended 
by some difficulty, so that errors are liable to occur 
in individual instances, but we may rely on the general 
statement that the larger meteors have their origin at a 
higher elevation than the smaller ones, and that they attain 
a nearer distance from the earth at the end of their course. 
In addition to the most valuable facts collected by Mr. 
Ilerschel, we have a telescopic observation by Schmidt, of 
