July 12, 1888] 



NATURE 



253 



quantities are easily computed in terms of the assumed 

 major axis. With a semi-major axis as large as 5 the 

 change in Fig. 1 would not be so considerable as to 

 modify any conclusions we can deduce from the grouping 

 of the stars. 



The most noticeable fact revealed by the figure is the 

 clustering of the stars about the point Q. All but seven 

 of the 116 meteor quits are in the Q hemisphere ; that is, 

 had orbits whose inclinations were less than 90 . One 

 hundred and nine followed the earth, seven met it. Again 

 the two lines STE are drawn to represent circles inclined 

 35 J to the ecliptic. More than two-thirds of the meteor 

 quits lie between these two lines ; hence, over two-thirds 

 of the orbits were inclined less than 35 to the ecliptic, 

 the motion being direct. 



It should be said that this clustering of the points near 

 Q is somewhat exaggerated in the figure by the nature of 

 the stereographic projection. The scale of distances near 

 Q differs from that near the circumference. But this does 

 not affect the distribution between the hemispheres. 



It has been assumed that certain centres of quit areas 

 were themselves the quits. Can the condensation of the 

 quits near Q have been caused in any way by this 

 assumption ? Or, is it possible that general errors of 

 observation, or inaccuracy of reporting, could have been 

 the cause ? To answer this question let us suppose that 

 there had existed a law that led to condensation of the 

 relative quits in any manner whatever. The effect of the 

 errors of observing or reporting, and also the effect of the 

 assumption above stated, would be toward scattering 

 these relative quits over the heavens more equably, and 

 thus masking the law. Then when the relative quits thus 

 unduly scattered are reduced to absolute quits there 

 might be as a result a tendency towards condensation 

 near Q. If, however, we draw the circle TT, enclosing 

 those absolute quits whose relative quits are in the hemi- 

 sphere next Q, the general tendency of the errors in 

 question would be towards equalizing the number of 

 absolute quits within to those without the circle TT. 

 Now, the number of stars is nearly twice as great within 



* * \. 



• * ' * * # \ 



| Q E 



Fig. 2. — Showing relatively to the sun's place, the zeniths for the tints and place of 94 stone-falls. 



as without the circle. The condensation about Q, shown 

 in Fig. 1, exists therefore in spite of, and not in con- 

 sequence of, these errors. With a good deal of confidence 

 do I conclude that these 1 16 meteors were, as a class 

 and with probably a very few exceptions, before 

 coming into the air following the earth in its orbit 

 about the sun. 



Another fact of great interest is also shown by the 

 grouping of the points in Fig. 1. In general these stones 

 did not go in their orbits very near to the sun. Assuming 

 that the orbits were parabolas we have for all the stones 

 whose perihelion distances were less than one-half, 

 sin L '^S<3. If there be drawn circles, AA, AA, 45 from 

 S and from E, then will all the stones whose absolute 

 quits were in the central zone, A P PA A A which is bounded 

 by the circles A A, have perihelion distances greater than 

 one-half and less than unity. Of these there are 103 out 

 of a total 116. If the same orbits are assumed to have 

 had semi-major axes equal to 5, then the circles A A 

 would have to be drawn a fraction of one degree farther 



from S and from E to serve as the limiting curve to orbits 

 whose perihelion distances exceed one-half. 



It appears from Fig. 1 that these 116 stones were, with 

 a few exceptions, following the earth in their orbit about 

 the sun. This could happen from either one or more of 

 three possible causes : 



Firstly, that nearly all the stones in the solar system 

 are moving in direct orbits, very few in retrograde orbits ; — 



Or, secondly, that stones moving in retrograde orbits 

 for some reason, as for example their great relative velo- 

 city, may not have been able to pass through the air and 

 to reach the ground in solid form ; — 



Or, thirdly, that stones moving in such retrograde 

 orbits, and coming through the air, may be falling while 

 men sleep, or for some like reason may fail to be found. 

 In other words, the effective cause may work above the 

 air, in the air, or below the air. 



Let us assume, as an hypothesis, that neither of the 

 first two are the true causes. In that case we should have 

 the stones moving in every direction as they cross the 



