June, 1910. Meteorite Studies III — Farrington. 179 



ment of meteorites. Since new falls occur yearly, data for study of 

 these points are obviously constantly on the increase. It is desirable, 

 however, to make comparisons at intervals in order that any changes 

 may be discerned. At the present time the admirable catalogues of 

 Wiilfing * and others, afford excellent means for the collection of such 

 data. From these catalogues, with such additions and corrections 

 as could be made from other sources, the writer has obtained record 

 of 350 well authenticated meteorite falls of which the year and month 

 are known, 327 of which the day is known, and 273 of which the time 

 of day is known. In this number it has been sought not to include 

 finds referred by residents of a locality to meteors which they had seen 

 a year or more before, since the residents of most localities can, on the 

 occasion of a meteorite find, recall a large meteor seen in that locality 

 at some previous time. To connect this, however, without further 

 reason with the meteorite found seems an unreliable method of pro- 

 cedure. 



Considering the falls by years it is well known that previous to 

 the nineteenth century little reliable record of meteorite falls is avail- 

 able. Single falls are known for the years 1492, 1668, 1715, 1723, 

 1751, 1766, 1773, 1785, 1787, 1790, 1794, 1795, and 1796, and two 

 falls each for the years 1753, 1768, and 1798. For the early part of the 

 nineteenth century the record is not very complete since during the 

 that period the possibility of meteorite falls was yet much doubted. 

 However, the record may as well begin with 1800. From that year 

 to the present 331 falls may be accepted as well authenticated as to 

 their month and year. During this period eleven years show no falls 

 whatever. These years are, 1800, 1801, 1809, 18 16, 1817, 1832, 

 1839, 1888, 1906, 1908, and 1909. Of these the years of the present 

 decade will probably have falls to their credit after a time, since the 

 record of falls usually lags several years behind their occurrence. 

 The largest number of falls shown in any year during the period is 

 11 in 1868. The years 1865, 1877, and 1886 show 7 each. All the 

 other years show from 1 to 6 falls each. The full record by years 

 beginning with 1800 is as follows: 



1 800 o 1 806 1 1812 4 1818 3 



1 80 1 o 1807 2 1813 2 18 19 2 



1802 1 1808 3 1814 2 1820 1 



1803 3 1809 o 1815 2 1821 1 



1804 2 1810 2 1816 o 1822.. .. 5 



1805 2 1811 2 1817 o 1823 2 



* Die Meteoriten in Sammlungen, Tubingen, 1897. 



