1 88 THE BORDERLAND OF SCIENCE. 



A RECENT STAR-SHOWER, AND STAR-SHOWERS 

 GENERALLY. 



ON November 27, 1872, several days after astronomers 

 had given up all hopes of recognizing any conspicuous 

 traces of the great November meteor system, there 

 occurred a remarkable display of shooting-stars. 

 Meteors fell for about five hours at an average rate of 

 nearly two thousand per hour. In brilliancy they were 

 not to be compared with those which fell during the 

 memorable display of November, 1866 ; but they were 

 fully as numerous. 



It is not to be wondered at, perhaps, that after so 

 much has been said and written about the November 

 meteors, many of the observers of the recent display 

 should have supposed that it belonged to that now 

 celebrated system or stream. Were this the case, 

 although the phenomenon would not be without in- 

 terest, yet I should scarcely care to discuss it in these 

 pages. For, to say truth, the subject of the November 

 shooting-stars has become somewhat well-worn; and 

 moreover, there is scarcely a feature of that system 

 which may not be found fully described in extant 

 treatises on astronomy. But, as a matter of fact, not 

 only was the recent display altogether unconnected 

 with the Leonides (as the November meteors are 

 called), but there are circumstances which give it a 

 peculiar interest and significance. Carefully considered, 

 it will be found to throw a new light on the whole 

 subject of meteoric astronomy, and especially on that 



