4 'in 



Kirkwood.] "iOvJ [Dec. 2, 



Prof. Daniel Kirkwood (Bloomington, Indiana) presented, 

 through the Secretaries, a communication, entitled, " Note on 

 the possible existence of Fireballs and Meteorites in the Stream 

 of Bielids." 



The Eeport of the Committee on Volapuh was read, after 

 which a discussion upon the subject-matter of the Report en- 

 sued, participated in by the members, and ultimately, on mo- 

 tion of Mr, McKean, the whole subject was recommitted. 



The Report of the Treasurer was presented and referred to 

 the Finance Committee, and the Society was adjourned by the 

 President. 



Note on tJie Possible Existence of Fireballs and 3Ieteorites in tJie Stream of 

 Bielids. By Daniel Kirkwood. 



{Bead before the American PhilosopJdcal Society, December 2d, 1SS7.) 



A revision of my paper on this subject, read September 2d, 1887, sug- 

 gests the following modifications : 



1. Before 1832, the earth passed the comet's node early in December. 

 The first eight meteors of the list should therefore be rejected. 



2. In Greg's Catalogue the circumstances which indicate the radiant are 

 not generally given ; the probability that the meteors belong in part to the 

 stream of Bielids must be judged by a comparison of their relative num- 

 bers with the mean number during a specified time. In the thirty years 

 from 1831 to 1860, the list gives seven hundred and twenty-one fireballs 

 and meteorites, or six for any three days of the year taken at random. 

 The number for November 28-30 is twelve, or twice the average. Of these, 

 one is the meteorite which fell during the shower of Bielids on November 

 27th, 1885 ; one is the conformable fireball of November 28th, 1850, the 

 date of a well-marked shower of shooting stars ; three (1839, 1848, and 

 1850, Nov. 30) are non-conformable ; and the directions of the remaining 

 seven are unknown, at least to the writer. Mr. Greg calls attention to 

 November 27-30 as an aerolitic epoch coincident with one of shooting 

 stars. 



8. The attempt in my paper of September 2d, to trace a period approxi- 

 mately equal to that of Biela's comet was probably premature. 



