METEORO LOG Y, 
progrefs we made towards the fouth, the more frequent 
was this phenomenon, efpecially near the Canaries. I 
have obferved, that thefe igneous meteors are more com¬ 
mon and more luminous in fome regions of the globe 
than in others; I have never beheld them fo multiplied 
as in the vicinity of the volcanoes of the province of 
Quito, and in the part of the Pacific Ocean which bathes 
the volcanic coafts of Guatimaia. Place and climate ap¬ 
peared to have an influence on thefe meteors. Accord¬ 
ing to fome obfervations, many of the falling ftars teen 
in Europe were not more than thirty thoufand toiles 
high, or about thirty-four miles ; and the height of one 
was meafured, which did not quite amount to half that 
quantity. In warm climates, efpecially under the tropics, 
the falling ftars leave a tail behind them, which remains 
luminous twelve or fifteen feconds ; at other times, they 
burft into fparks; and they are generally lower than in 
the north of Europe. Thefe, obferved only in a ferene 
and azure fky, perhaps never have been teen below a 
cloud. They often follow the fame direction, that of 
the wind, for many hours together.” 
Though the general appearance of thefe meteors is that 
of ftars (hooting or falling, yet occaftonally they are ob¬ 
ferved of great magnitude, and comparatively of long 
duration, lometimes almoft as large as the moon, and 
move through a celeftial arc of ioo°, more or lefs. In- 
ftances of this kind, with conjectures as to their forma¬ 
tion, are given under the article Fire-ball, vol. vii. 
p. 386. 
From the general refemblance of the fmall meteors or 
{hooting ftars to the large globes of fire, except in lize 
and duration, it can fcarcely be doubted that they are of 
the fame nature. Whatever hypothefis may be laid 
down to explain the one, mull be expeCted to apply to the 
other; and, fince the difcoveries in electricity, meteors 
have been very generally afcribed to that agent. See the 
article juft quoted, p. 387. There feem, however, in- 
fuperable difficulties in explaining their phenomena upon 
eleftrical principles. The air, at the height of fifty miles, 
is probably 30,000 times more rarified than at the earth’s 
furface ; in fuch circumftances, tve are almoft certain that 
the eleCtric fluid would either not pafs at all, or pafs in a 
very thin attenuated ftate, fo as to be far from exhibiting 
that denfely-luminous appearance which accompanies all 
the meteors in the form of balls. But, admitting that 
large denfe balls of eleCtric fluid could be formed and 
conveyed through thefe high regions of the atmofphere, 
we fhould ftill be at a lofs for materials to form thole pon¬ 
derable metallic maffes which feem occalionally to be pre¬ 
cipitated upon the furface of the earth, after the appear¬ 
ance of the meteor. 
Profefi'or Clap, late prefident of Yale-college, in New 
England, in his theory of meteors, fuppofes them to be 
“ terreftrial comets, revolving about the earth in the fame 
manner as the folar comets revolve about the fun : that, 
moving in very.eccentric orbits, when in perigee, they 
pats through the atmofphere, are highly eleCtrified, and 
confequently become luminous. As they approach their 
lower aptide, their eleCtricity is dilcharged, the body dif- 
appears, and a report is heard. This being admitted, it 
is not ftrange that, by the violence of the fliock, portions 
of the meteor fhould be thrown to the earth, while the 
main body, not fenfibly afteCted by fo fmall a lofs, conti¬ 
nues to move on in its orbit, and of courfe ceafes to be 
luminous.” American Phil. Tranf. vol. vi. p. 335. 
In the Phil. Tranf. 1784, Dr. Blagden has given “ An 
account of fome late fiery vapours; with obiervations.” 
He confiders the meteors under the following heads, in 
all of which he makes various appropriate obfervations. 
1. Their general appearance. Their path. 3. Their 
fiiape or figure. 4. Their light and colours. 5. Their 
height. 6. Their noife. 7. Their fize. 8. Their dura¬ 
tion: and, 9. Their velocity. In difcuifing the opinions 
of philofophers on the fubjeCt, he refers to profeffor Clap’s, 
as follows: “ A ftrong objection to this hypothefis of 
Vol. XV. No. 1040. 
permanent revolving bodies, is derived from the great 
number of them there nvuft be to anfwer ail the appear¬ 
ances. Such a regular gradation is obferved from thefe 
large meteors, which ttrike all beholders with aftoniih- 
ment, and occur but rarely, down to the minute fires, 
called (hooting ftars, which are feen without being re¬ 
garded in great numbers every clear night, that it teems 
impofiible to draw any line of diftinClion between them, 
or deny that they are all of the fame nature. But fuch 
a crowd of revolving bodies could fcarcely fail to announce 
their exiftence by fome other means than merely a lumi¬ 
nous train in the night; as, for inftance, by meeting or 
joftling fometimes near the earth, or by falling to the 
earth in confequence of various accidents ; at leaft one 
might expeft they would be teen in the day-time, either 
wifli the naked eye, or telefcopes, by fome of the nume¬ 
rous obfervers who are conftantly examining the heavens. 
Another argument of great weight againlt the hypothefis 
that fire-balls are terreftrial comets, is taken from their 
great velocity. A body falling from infinite fpace to¬ 
wards the earth, would have acquired a velocity of no 
more than feven miles a-fecond, when it came within fifty 
miles of the earth’s furface; whereas thefe meteors feem 
to move at leaft three times fafter. And this objection, 
if there be no miftake in regard to the velocity of the 
meteors, as I think there is not, ablolutely overfets the 
whole hypothefis.” 
Dr. Blagden proceeds to explain thefe meteors on the 
hypothefis that they are eleCtrical phenomena. His argu¬ 
ments are, ill. From the great rapidity of their motion, 
which feems to exceed any other we are acquainted with 
belides that of eleCtricity. zdly. From certain eleCtrical 
phenomena, which lometimes accompany thele meteors. 
3tlly. From the connection which they have with the 
aurora borealis, or northern lights. The Lift are well 
known to regard the magnetic meridian ; and molt of the 
great meteors have been obferved to move in a direction 
nearly coincident with the fame meridian. Upon this 
head he obferves ; “ The tendency towards the magnetic 
meridian, however, feems to hold good only with regard 
to the largeft fort of fire-balls; the fmaller ones move 
more irregularly, perhaps becaufe they come further with¬ 
in the verge of our atmofphere, and are thereby more 
expofed to the aClion of extraneous caufes. That the 
fmaller fort of meteors, fuch as (hooting ftars, are really 
lower down in the atmofphere, is rendered very probable 
by their fwifter apparent motion; perhaps it is this very 
circumftance which occafions them to be fmaller, the 
eleCtric fluid being more divided in more refitting air. 
But, as thefe mafles of eleCtricity, which move where 
there is fcarcely any refiftance, fo generally affeCt the di¬ 
rection of the magnetic meridian, the ideas which have 
been entertained of fome analogy between thele two 
obfeure powers of nature, feem not altogether without 
foundation.” 
Dr. Blagden concludes, that there are three regions off 
the atmofphere, diltinguilhed by eleCtrical phenomena 
peculiar to each. iff. The lowelt region, in which the 
phenomena of thunder and lightning occur. 2dly. The 
middle region, where the fire-balls and (hooting ftars are 
obferved. sdly. The higheft region, where the aurora 
borealis difpiays a peculiar kind of eleCtric agency. 
Though many of the arguments which Dr. Biagden has 
advanced in favour of the hypothefis of eieCtricity being 
the origin of meteors, are of conliderable weight, yet the 
circumftances which have fince occurred reipeCting the 
falling of (tones from the tky, effectually remove one of 
his objections to the reception of profetlbr Clap’s hypo¬ 
thefis ; namely, that of the meteors not “ falling to the 
earth in confequence of various accidents,” and at the 
fame time they rife up againlt the eleCtrical hypothefis ; 
unlefs indeed another be attached to it, that eleCtricity 
condenies and fules the earthy and metallic exhalations 
in the atmofphere, which are thus precipitated to the 
ear til’s furface in. greater or lefs portion^. The other 
3 T great 
