Fireball Radiant in Sextans. 
643 
1884.] 
I believe the centre of the shower thus derived is very 
accuratein right ascension, but the declination is too far south. 
On December 8th, 1877, I witnessed this stream in special 
activity, and the point of radiation determined on that oc- 
casion was regarded as very sharply defined. This taken in 
conjunction with the pairs of positions by Col. lupman and 
Mr. Sawyer (both of whom conducted and reduced their 
observations with considerable precision) indicate the radiant 
in S = 6°*4, so that the place assigned from the twelve values 
is probably 2’°5 south of its true centre, owing in some 
measure to the very erratic, southerly position of No^jS. 
Let us compare the average radiant of the thiee gieat fire- 
balls of 1877 and 1879 with that resulting from the above 
summary : — 
Fireballs of 1877 and 1879 
Meteor showers, 1857 — 80 
a 8 
i4 2 '3° + 5' 0 ° 
I 45’4° + 3'9^ 
The mean places of the radiant are therefore separated by 
little more than 3 0 . But the very grave doubts existing as 
to whether the whole series of showers is connected in suf- 
ficient degree to warrant their being thus incorporated and 
averaged must greatly detraft from the significance of the 
accordance in the resulting positions. 1 here are probably 
several distinCt systems of meteors proceeding from nearly 
the same foci in Sextans during the months November to 
April, but their individual durations and epochs of maximum 
display cannot be attributed owing to the meagre character 
of the observations on which they are founded. It will be 
an essential part of future investigation to ascertain 
whether there is a continuous run of meteors from exactly 
the same centre in this region duiing the months fiom 
November to March. The faft is affirmed by the most 
reliable observations hitherto obtained, and it is singular 
that Sig. Zona, at Caltanisetta in Italy, observed a stationary 
meteor at i46° + 9°, on April 3rd, 1872, and close to the 
point i45°+8°, where Mr. Sawyer, at Cambridgport, Mass., 
obtained a similar observation on February 24th, 1878, and 
where, on December 8th, 1877, I had determined the exaCt 
centre of a well-defined meteor shower. 
In November and December the meteors discharged from 
this point are of identical type to the Leonids of November 
12th to 14th ; they are rather bright, moving very swiftly 
and uniformly leaving streaks, whereas the conformable 
meteors seen in the months of February and March are 
slow-moving, and it would seem of comparatively greater 
