Miss Zornlin on the Periodical Shooting Stars. 355 



them as of electric origin. If, then, we consider these phe- 

 nomena as originating in electricity in motion ; and if, to use 

 the words of Sir John Herschel, we consider " that the sun's 

 rays are the ultimate source of every motion that takes place 

 on the surface of the earth," (possibly modified not only by 

 the direction in which they strike the earth in its transit 

 through space, but also by the varying rapidity with which 

 the earth itself moves in different parts of its orbit,) we may 

 perhaps regard the sun as mainly influential in their produc 

 tion. And therefore, although meteorological observations 

 must necessarily be of great importance as tending to elucidate 

 the subject*, it cannot but be hoped that astronomy will also 

 lend its powerful aid, and that future observations made on the 

 sun's disc, at, or immediately antecedent to the time indicated 

 by the periodical appearance of these meteors, and compared 

 with the ordinary phenomena presented by its surface, (both 

 in our latitudes and in tropical regions, where shooting stars 

 are of more common occurrence,) may detect some unusual 

 agitation, some apparently peculiar condition in the sun itself 

 at those especial periods, to which may be attributed the pe- 

 riodical occurrence of these meteoric phenomena. 



Clapham, Nov. 6, 1840. RosiNA Maria Zornlin. 



An accidental circumstance has retarded the publication of 

 the above paper until the present period ; and, in the interim, 

 two rather important articles have been given to the public on 

 the subject of these meteors ; the one forming a portion of 

 Professor Forbes's ' Supplementary Report on Meteorology,' 

 given in the ' Report of the Tenth Meeting of the British Asso- 

 ciation for the Advancement of Science;' and the other consist- 

 ing of a paper read before the Royal Astronomical Society, and 

 published in^he Monthly Notices of that Society. Although 

 nothing occurs in either of these articles which I had not pre- 

 viously taken into consideration, yet, as I may appear in the 

 former portion of this paper to have passed over some points 

 with too slight a notice, I gladly avail myself of the opportu- 

 nity thus afforded me of adding a few additional remarks. 



The periodicity of the November and August meteors I 

 have considered as granted : Professor Forbes does not appear 

 to regard this point as established ; but observes, " that we 



* The apparently periodical recurrence of the aurora borealis, which, as 

 observed by Captain Beechey near Behring's Straits, made its first appear- 

 ance for two successive years, 1831 and 1832, on the 26th of August, is not 

 undeserving of notice. A splendid aurora was observed in this country by 

 Mr. S. Hunter Christie on the 25th of August, 1837— See Seventh Report 

 of the British Association for the Advancement of Science. 



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