J. Lawrence Smith on’ Meteorites. 329 
the shooting stars. 
It may be a broad assumption to start with, that there is not a 
single evidence of the identity of shooting stars (as exemplified 
by the periodical meteors of August and November) and these 
meteors which give rise to meteoric stones, and this conclusion 
is one arrived at by as full an examination of the subject as Iam 
capable of making.* Some of the prominent reasons for such a 
conclusion will be mentioned. 
_ Were shooting stars and meteoric stones the same class of bod- 
les, it is natural to suppose that the fall of the latter would be 
most abundant when the former are most numerous. In other 
howers 
have been sometimes seen, ought to have been attended with the 
falling of one or more meteoric stones; whereas there is not a 
Single instance on record where these showers have been accom- 
panied with the falling of a meteoric stone. Again, in all in- 
stances where a-meteoric body has been seen to fall and has been 
observed even from its very commencement, it has been alone and 
Rot accompanied by other meteors. Very little reflection will 
Serve to convince any one that an objection to the identity of 
the two classes of bodies based upon the above fact is of great 
Weight. 
- Another strong objection to considering the bodies of the same 
* Prof. D, Olmsted in a most interesting article on the subject of meteors, to be 
found in. the so cone of os ae Journ Science, p. 132, insists upon the 
e between shooting stars and meteorites, and the time and attention he has 
) the phenomiena of meteors give weight to his opinion.. 
ertes, Vol, XIX, No, 57—May, 1855. 42 
