METEORS. 149 



active enough to throw up pieces of matter with 

 a velocity great enough to carry them away 

 from the Earth altogether. Such meteors would, 

 however, intersect the terrestrial orbit at each 

 revolution. 



The alternative theory to this, supported by 

 Schiaparelli and Lockyer, is that the aerolites 

 are merely larger members of the meteor- swarms, 

 which have been deflected from their paths. The 

 chief objection to this theory is the absence 

 of connection between the meteoric showers and 

 the falls of aerolites and bolides. Only on one 

 occasion was a meteoric stone observed to fall 

 during a shower. On November 27, 1885, during 

 the shower of Andromedid meteors from Biela's 

 comet, a large bolide, weighing more than eight 

 pounds, fell at Mazapil, in Mexico. This, how- 

 ever, was the only case hitherto observed ; and 

 it may have been merely a coincidence. 



