considered Geographically, Statistically, and Cosmically, 335. 



drawn up for, and published by the British Association, in the 

 volumes of its Transactions for the years 1848 to 1853. At best 

 these results can only be relative and approximative. 



Column A. denotes the total number of luminous meteors de- 

 scribed (or recorded and particularized) in the above-named re- 

 ports ; and column B. the number only of the most remarkable 

 ones*. 



Table E. — Luminous Meteors. 



Months. 



January 

 February- 

 March... 

 April ... 

 May ... 

 June ... 



Months. 



July 



August . . 

 September 

 October .. 

 November 

 December 



364 

 4370 



315 



320 

 1470 



310 



Per-cent- 



age of 

 large ones. 



5-5 

 06 

 7-9 

 3-9 

 1-7 

 61 



On comparing this table with Table D., one is struck with 

 several comparative dissimilarities of result. The marked poverty 

 of meteors observed in March and May does not agree with the 

 number of aerolites observed for the same months, as given in 

 Table D., where March has over the average and May about the 

 average number, for the whole year. 



In Table E., December has nearly as many as July, September 

 and October ; and more than January, February, March, April, 

 May and June. This may perhaps be the result of chance, but 

 not so when we take the months of August and November 

 (Table E.); these two months show a decided and even enormous 

 preponderance in the number of luminous meteors observed, owing 

 principally to the periodic displays which usually take place from 

 the 9th to the 13th of each month. 



Referring now to Table D., it will be observed that the num- 

 ber of meteoric stones or aerolites ascertained to have fallen for 

 these two months, barely exceeds the average of the whole twelve 

 months. 



This deserves some attention, since out of j^ore than 150 

 meteorites (or aerolites) whose precise date of fa^ are well ascer- 

 tained, there are but four (see Table F.) which fell on any of the 

 twelve days included between the 9th to 14th days of August and 

 November respectively. From this we are, I think, justified in 

 drawing the conclusion, that, with many phsenomena in com- 

 mon, there does exist a distinction between meteoric stones or 

 aerolites and luminous meteors. This distinction one may sup- 



* Such as those having a larger apparent size than the planet Jupiter, 

 those accompanied by audible explosion, or such as are described as having 

 approached particularly near the surface of the earth. 



