June, 1910. Meteorite Studies III — Farrington. 183 



Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. Mayjunejuly Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. 



17 1 1 3 1 2 1 



18 3 1 .. 2 1 1 .. 1 



19 2 1 2 1 3 1 1 2 1 



20 1 1 1 3 2 1 i 



21 1 1 2 .. .. 1 2 .. 1 



22 1 . . 3 1 1 1 3 1 . . 



23 3 l ■ • x • • 1 ■ • l 



24 1 1 2 2 .. .. 1 1 



25 2 1 3 1 1 1 2 .. .. 1 



26 3 2 1 .. .. 1 1 1 



27 1 1 1 2 1 .. 1 .. 3 



28 1 1 2 .. 1 3 .. .. 1 



29 1 1 .. 1 1 .. 3 1 



3° 1 1 » • • I ■ • 4 



31 2 . . 1 1 . . 1 



23 23 21 29 41 42 21 32 28 24 23 20=327 



Of all times of fall of meteorites the most satisfactory for study 

 are probably the hours of fall, since the ratio of number of falls to 

 number of hours is larger than to days, months, or years. As is well 

 known, the hours of fall show the direction of movement of meteor- 

 ites, since (with a few minor possible obvious exceptions) meteorites 

 falling from noon to midnight, or afternoon falls, as they may be 

 called, must be moving in the same direction as the earth; while those 

 falling between midnight and noon, or forenoon falls, are moving in 

 a direction opposite to that of the earth or else at a speed so slow that 

 they are overtaken by it. While the hour of fall is not known of as 

 many meteorites as is the year and month, yet of 273 sufficiently sat- 

 isfactory records are available. Of these 273 falls 184 occurred in the 

 time from noon to midnight, and 89 from midnight to noon. The 

 record in full is as follows, the total number being less by seven than 

 that recorded for forenoon and afternoon, since of these seven the 

 hour is not known : 



Hours 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 91011 Total 



a. m 1 2 3 2 6 7 7 18 12 10 9 12 = 89 



P- m 24 13 19 33 21 15 11 8 16 7 9 3 = 176 



As in the case of the months and the years, it is quite likely that 

 here also considerable allowance should be made for conditions of 

 observation. It is reasonable to expect that the number of falls 

 recorded in the early morning hours would be less than that for other 

 times, since mankind is generally asleep then. That some such allow- 

 ance must be made is indicated by the records, for the number of falls 

 from midnight to 6 a. m. is only 2 1 , while from 6 a. m. to noon it is 68 ; 



