1887.1 ^4d [Kirkwood. 



1830. 29 November ; a very brilliant meteor at Cosenzo, Ionian Isles. 



1821. 28 November; a fireball at Naples. 



1821. 30 November ; a fireball at Delitzsch. 



1822. 30 November, before sunset ; a fall of several aerolites at Futteh- 

 pore, Doab, India. 



1823. 27 November ; a fireball at Naples. 



1824. 27 November ; a fireball as large apparently as the moon, at 

 Prague. 



1833. End of November ; a fall of aerolites bj^ which a person was 

 killed at Kandahar, Afghanistan. 



1834. 29 November ; a stone-fall at Raflfaten, Hungary. 

 1834. 30 November ; a fireball at Naples. 



1839. 29 November, before sunset ; a large fireball at Naples. 

 1842. 30 November ; a shower of meteoric stones ; specific gravity 

 3.36; N. E. of Ahmedabad. 



1847. 29 November ; a brilliant fireball at Bonn. 



1848. 29 November ; a fireball at Lincolnshire. 

 1850. 28 November ; a fireball at Nottingham. 



1850. 29 November ; a fireball at London, Oxford, etc. 

 1850. 30 November ; a stone fall in India. 



1859. 28 November ; a brilliant detonating meteor, S. W. of Bohemia. 

 1885. 27 November ; the fall of meteoric iron in Mexico (Am. Journ. 

 Sci., Mar., 1887). 



These twenty falls may be arranged as follows : — 



1809 to 1822 r= 13 years = 2 



1810 to 1823 = 13 



1820 to 1833 =13 



1821 to 1834 = 13 



1822 to 1842 = 20 

 1824 to 1850 = 26 

 1834 to 1847 = 13 

 1822 to 1848 = 26 

 1839 to 1859 = 20 

 1859 to 1885 = 26 



The period is apparently well marked, though facts, as with the associ- 

 ated shooting stars, indicate the existence of several clusters moving in 

 Ox-bits very nearly identical. The period is short, thus aflfording frequent 

 opportunities for studying the group— one of the most interesting with 

 which we are acquainted. The next return may be expected in 1892. It 

 will, of course, be carefully observed. 



The comet of Biela was first observed in 1772, but previous traces of its 

 debris may not be impossible. Instance the great meteor of December 5. 

 1702, and the fall of shooting stars on December 5, 1741, referred to in 

 Quetelet's catalogue. 



