38 



REPORT 1871. 



The analysis of the last of these meteorites by Mr. Tschermak (Jahrbuch 

 fiir Mineralogie, for 1871, p. 412) shows approximately the following com- 

 position : — 



Iron. Ilydrocarbon. Olivine. Enstatite. Magnetic Pyrites. 



8-49 +0-85 +61-72 +30-01 +(traces) =101-07. 



The occurrence of carbonaceous matter in the meteorites of Hessle, Upsala 



(1st January, 1869), was recently also recognized by Nordenskjold, who 



found in them a black flocculent substance, containing 71 per cent, of 



carbon. (The ' Academy,' August loth, 1871.) 



IV. Meteoeic Showers. 

 1. Meteor-sliowers in January and February 1837. — From the tracks of 

 meteors recorded in the last annual Catalogue of the British Association, and 

 in the ' Bulletin of the Moncalieri Observatory' for November 1869, observed 

 during the months of January and February of that year, Mr. Greg has 

 established the existence of the following old, and of one new radiant-point, 

 which made their appearance in those months : — 



A succession of radiant-points near the apex of the earth's way following 

 the appearance of the November shower, of which the general meteor-shower 

 LH (Report for 1868, p. 403) from the head of Hydra, lasting until the 

 12th of December, presents a parallel instance, is remarkably described in the 

 following MS. note, recorded by the late Sir J. Herschel during his residence 

 at the Cape:—" Cape of Good Hope, 1837, January 2nd, I'' 30" M. T. [_i. e. 

 from midnight]. A me teor= second-magnitude star crossed the zenith, leav- 

 ing a train. Course right from the (qje.v in the east, whence they have all 

 come since November 12th. N.B. This has been extremely remarkable and 

 well-sustained ; really very few exceptions. 



" February 1-5. — The meteors now chiefly go from S.W. to N.E." 

 The tendency of radiant-points to group themselves in families so as to 

 make newly observed centres difficult to distinguish from older ones appear- 

 ing nearly on the same date, is well seen by the examples of the new radiant- 

 poiut in Orion, and of the extensions (apparently) of old radiant-points, pointed 

 out by Mr. Greg. Some attempts to explain this singular peculiarity and 

 the striking instances of groups of radiant-points in the months of January 

 and February have recently been published by Professor SchiapareUi, a fur- 

 ther account of whose speculations on their probable history wUl be found at 

 the close of this Report. 



