THE APPARENT POSITION OF THE ZODIACAL LIGHT. 157 



ascending node 2°, with the inclination 4°. In the present state of our knowl- 

 edge upon the subject, this result cannot be regarded as significant, since the 

 material employed was necessarily insufficient. 



The principal conclusions reached in the present communication may now be 

 recapitulated as briefly as possible : — 



1. It is probable that atmospheric absorption largely affects the apparent 

 position of the zodiacal light. 



2. After allowance for the effect of absorption, there is reason to think that 

 the zodiacal light, as seen during the second half of the nineteenth century, has 

 had a more northern latitude near the longitude 180" than near the longitude 0°. 



. 3. Upon the meteoric theory of the zodiacal light, it is to be expected that 

 a continuous zodiacal band should be present; but the question of its actual visi- 

 bility is complicated by the slight maxima of stellar density which are situated 

 along those parts of the ecliptic most readily accessible to observation from 

 stations in the northern hemisphere. 



4. The belt of sky occupied by the projections of the orbits of the first 237 

 asteroids presents certain peculiarities which correspond to those of the zodiacal 

 light, and suggest the hypothesis that the light may be partly due to minute 

 objects circulating in orbits like those of the smaller planets. 



