INDUSTRIAL PROGRESS DURING THE YEAR 1875. X xix 



lire, the gases extracted from the meteorite itself (and there- 

 fore of an extra-terrestrial origin) show the same three bands 

 which are characteristic of some of the comets, and that not 

 only are these bands in precisely the same relative positions 

 as the comet-bands, but they have likewise the same relative 

 intensity. 



In a second paper on the same subject, Wright concludes, 

 first, that the stony meteorites are distinguished from the 

 iron ones by having the oxides of carbon, chiefly the dioxide, 

 as their characteristic gases, instead of hydrogen. Second, 

 the proportion of carbon dioxide given off is much greater 

 at low than at high temperatures, and is sufficient to mask 

 the hydrogen in the spectrum. Third, the amount of the 

 gases contained in a large meteorite, or a cluster of such 

 bodies serving as a cometary nucleus, is sufficient to form 

 the train as ordinarily observed. Fourth, the spectrum is 

 closely identical with that of several of the comets. 



The question as to the identity of Biela's comet and that 

 discovered by Pogson, at Madras, on the 2d and 3d of De- 

 cember, 1872, has been investigated by Professor Bruhns. 

 He demonstrates that there was no connection between the 

 two, nor even between Pogson's comet and the shower of 

 shooting-stars of the preceding 27th of November. 



Professor Kirkwood concludes that, besides the shower of 

 meteors that occurs on the 12th of November, another class 

 of meteors has been occasionally observed on the 14th of 

 November, which latter is probably a small fragment of the 

 principal group, having been separated from them within 

 historical times, in consequence of considerable perturbations 

 either by Uranus or the earth. 



The August meteors were well observed in France by the 

 members of the Meteor Association organized by the joint 

 scientific associations of France. 



Fixed Stars. Of stellar atlases, the only original ones that 

 have been published of late are : 



First, that of Dr. Behrmann, which embraces the region 

 between the south pole and 20 south declination, and gives 

 the position of all stars visible to the naked eye. Although 

 the magnitudes of the stars were actually observed by Dr. 

 Behrmann in the course of ten months, yet all the other data 

 of the atlas have been compiled from the older star catalogues. 



