July 12, 1888] 



NA TURE 



255 



the earth's goal alone was above the depressed horizon to 

 be compared with 59 falls when the earth's quit alone 

 was above the depressed horizon. 



Of the 50 observed falls constituting the third group, of 

 which the hour of fall is not stated, very few particulars 

 other than the fact of fall are known. Although we are 

 left without the power of saying that they indicate the 

 same law as the other 210 falls, we find at the same time 

 no reason to suspect the contrary. It is not unreasonable 

 to assume that the well observed stone-falls are good 

 representatives of the whole group, and to affirm the 

 three propositions with which I set out as true, in general, 

 not only for the 210 stone-falls of the first two groups, 

 but for the whole 260 stone-falls which are represented by 

 stones in our cabinets, and in which the stones were seen 

 or known to fall. 



It also seems a natural and proper corollary to these 

 propositions (unless it shall appear that stones meeting 

 the earth are destroyed in the air), that the larger 

 meteorites moving in our solar system are allied much 

 more closely with the group of comets of short period than 

 with the comets whose orbits are nearly parabolic. All 

 the known comets of shorter periods than 33 years move 

 about the sun in direct orbits that have moderate inclina- 

 tions to the Ecliptic. On the contrary, of the nearly 

 parabolic cometic orbits that are known only a small pro- 

 portion of the whole number have small inclinations with 

 direct motion. 



It also follows that in future reductions of these stone-fall 

 •observations it will be better to assume that the velocity 

 of the stone in its orbit was not that velocity which corre- 

 sponds to a parabolic orbit, but that which corresponds to 

 the mean orbit of the comets of short period. The 

 largeness of the perihelion distances has an evident 

 bearing also upon the idea that these stones form the 

 fuel of the sun. 

 . The presentation of the argument here made has been 

 incomplete in that the details of the investigation of in- 

 dividual stone-falls have been entirely omitted. Some of 

 the determinations of the paths are, I think, as complete 

 as I can hope to make them. But others must be 

 regarded as provisional, since I hope to secure respecting 

 them additional data. I hope at some future time to give 

 a complete discussion of all these observed stone-falls. 

 In the past I have been greatly indebted to friends for 

 aid in collecting accounts of the falls, and I heartily 

 thank them therefore. I shall be very grateful also in 

 the future for unpublished observations of the stone-falls, 

 as well as for observations that have been so published as 

 not to be likely to have attracted attention. I bespeak 

 the kindly aid of any who have made or have collected 

 such observations. 



NOTES. 



At the time of the Paris Exhibition in 1889, several scientific 

 congresses will assemble in the French capital— congresses of 

 zoology, anthropol/gy, physiology, electricity, dermatology, 

 hygiene. The Revue Scienlifique expresses a hope that the great 

 congress of electricity in 1881 may betaken as a model for all 

 these assemblies ; that attempts will be made, as far as possible, 

 to establish uniformity in scientific nomenclature ; and that men 

 of science in other countries will not allow themselves to be 

 deterred by international jealousies from being adequately repre- 

 sented at meetings whose proceedings will relate to matters of 

 universal interest. 



At the next meeting of the British Association there will be a 

 discussion in Section D on the vexed question of the formation 

 of coral reefs. The discussion will be opened by Dr. Sydney J. 

 Hickson. 



On Tuesday evening Mr. W. II. Smith, speaking of the 

 measures with which it would be impossible to deal during the 

 present Session, announced that the Government had decided to 

 drop the Technical Instruction Bill. He deeply regretted that 

 this was necessary, " but perhaps," he added, " there may not 

 be much loss of time, as the Royal Commission on Elemen'ary 

 Education will report shortly on the whole question, and it will 

 be interesting and convenient to the House to have that report 

 before it before attempting to legislate on the subject." 



A Conference of the Executive Committee of the National 

 Association for the Promotion of Technical Education and re- 

 presentatives of branches and co-operating associations was 

 held last Saturday afternoon at the Society of Arts. After- 

 wards the first annual meeting of the Association was held. 

 Lord Hartington presided, and delivered an able and interesting 

 speech, showing how the establishment of a proper system of 

 technical instruction has been rendered absolutely necessary by 

 the conditions of modern industrial development. 



The anniversary meeting of the Sanitary Institute of Great 

 Britain will be held to-day at 3 p.m. The chair will be taken 

 by Mr. Edwin Chadwick, C.B., who will present the medals 

 and certificates awarded to the exhibitors at the exhibition held 

 at Bolton. Dr. B. W. Richardson, F.R.S., will deliver an 

 address, entitled, " The Storage of Life as a Sanitary Study." 



On Thursday, the 5th inst., Prof. Stckes distributed the 

 prizes to the students at the Medical School, St. Thomas's 

 Hospital. In addressing the students he said that he need not 

 lemind th<-m that diligence was the great road to success, and 

 urged that it was a duty to work for our fellow-creatures as 

 well as ourselves. He thought that the two noblest professions 

 were those, one of which assisted in the rectification of man's 

 character and the other in alleviating the results of disease. In 

 the exercise of the medical profession our best feelings were, he 

 thought, called forth. The best foundation was a general liberal 

 education, and although those branches of science which bear 

 directly on medicine might be separated from their practical 

 application, they were in themselves most interesting, and> when 

 studied for their own sakes, were excellent mental training. He 

 was glad to hear from Dr. Ord that Sr. Thomas's students 

 were successful in athletics, as the cups exhibited testified. 

 In the necessarily sedentary life of a medical student exercise 

 and relaxation should not be neglected, and students did well to 

 study the use of their muscles in athletic pursuits. Sir John 

 Simon, on behalf of the Governors of the Hospital, thanked 

 Prof. Stokes for distributing the prizes, and referred to the high 

 position attained by Prof. Stokes, who, as President of the 

 Royal Society, and representative in Parliament of the Univer- 

 sity of Sir Isaac Newton, might be said to have gained the best 

 possible prize, but hinted that the happiness of life consisted in 

 its endeavours rather than in its prizes. He concluded by allud- 

 ing to the retirement of Dr. Ord, whose services as Dean of the 

 Medical School during the past twelve years had been, he felt 

 sure, much appreciated by the Governors of the Hospital, l>y 

 the medical and surgical staff, and by the students. 



The French Minister of Public Instruction has authorized the 

 following scientific missions : — -If. Georges Martin is entrusted 

 with a mission to Sweden and Norway, to study the different 

 educational questions; M. Henry Meyners d'Estrey is sent to 

 explore the mountainous districts of Scan linavia, and to study 

 certain questions connected with ethnography and anthropology ; 

 M. Gaston Angelvy, civil engineer, goes to explore the tract 

 of country between Lake Nyassa and the coast of the Indian 

 Ocean, and to visit more particularly the basin of the river 

 Royaurva. 



The Musee Guimet in Paris, which contains specimens of 

 a great number of objects used in religious ceremonies, was 



