We present new data from two rocket flights and examine the published evidence for the existence of a corpuscular source of ionization at E region heights. The rockets were launched from White Sands Missile Range (magnetic latitude of ~43¿) to provide measurements of energetic electrons and protons between 40 eV and 5.5 keV in the E region below 120 km. A daytime flight (solar zenith angle &khgr; of 58¿) launched during a geomagnetically disturbed period (Kp=5=) provided measurements of a small flux of electrons which exhibits a strong altitude dependence below 500 eV but essentially none above that energy. The observed electron energy flux at 116 km is ~1.8¿103 erg/cm2 s. We interpret these to be photoelectrons. During the nighttime flight we observed an energy flux which was less than 105 erg/cm2 s. Upper limits for proton fluxes are given. The electron flux values contrast sharply with much higher values reported by some other investigators. The implications of and some possible reasons for the differences are discussed. After reviewing our data and the relevant literature we conclude that (1) data obtained from one location must be carefully interpreted with regard to implications about the general ionosphere, since a real geographic variability exists: (2) since we observe no significant fluxes of energetic particles in a geomagnetically disturbed ionosphere, even in the presence of fluctuating nighttime E region ionization, the presence of such fluctuations cannot be taken as evidence of precipitating particles: and (3) many reports of corpuscular radiation contain high flux values which are not supported by observations of 391.4-nm radiation from N2.