348 REPORT—1874. 
point on successive days or hours of the night ; but, as far as could be judged, 
without success, although a progressive motion on successive nights, like that 
observed by Prof. Twining in 1859, was thought to be traceable. Oscilla- 
tions of the radiant-point accompanying the successive outbursts (with inter- 
vening lulls between them) very commonly occurring in the apparent inten- 
sity of the shower, were also unsupported by any signs of concentration, in 
these meteor-groups, of their apparent directions about definite radiant- 
points either movable or referable to a single place. The results in all these 
cases, Mr. Clark observes, although not very precise (perhaps on account of 
the mixed character of the observations that he employed), point to the con- 
clusion naturally to be expected from an assemblage of such miscellaneous 
records, that the variations exhibited are utterly irregular from what- 
ever point of view it was attempted to examine them. 
A valuable list of upwards of 250 meteor-observations made at the Rad- 
cliffe Observatory, Oxford, during the year 1873, under the superintendence 
of its director, Mr. Main, has lately been published, of which copies have 
been presented to the Committee, and they purpose in a future Report to 
return to their discussion. 
A fourth number of the annual directions to observers of shooting-stars in 
Italy was issued last year, for the period 1873-74, by Signor Denza, to astro- 
nomers and other observers engaged in contributing materials for the work 
of reduction continued by Professor Schiaparelli. It may be expected that 
the list of radiant-points obtained from these sources will contribute very 
largely to the correction and confirmation of the abundant collections of 
radiants now obtained, and to settle the doubtful questions of the distinctness 
or connexion together in groups or families of certain meteor-showers as 
exhibited in the existing lists. 
Important researches have recently been made by Professor Kirkwood, of 
Bloomington, U.8.*, on the early recorded appearances of some of the best- 
known annual meteor-showers of modern dates. Those of April, October, 
and December are found to have been visible in past times in years which 
indicate a cycle for these showers of about 283, 273, and 29 years respec- 
tively in their returns. Pursuing the investigation, Professor Kirkwood 
recognizes similar evidence of a recurring period in the recorded dates of 
appearance of the star-shower of the 2nd of January, derived, however, prin~ 
cipally from observations in the present centuryt. The principal appearances 
took place about the years 1825, 1838, and 1864, indicating as very probable 
a periodic time of revolution of this meteor-ring of about 13 years. [The 
next return of the centre of the cluster may thus be expected in 1877; and 
allowing two years before and after as occupied by its nodal passage, con- 
siderable returns of this meteor-shower may be anticipated during the coming 
years from 1875 to 1879.—WNote by the Committee, 1874. } 
Another meteor-system is indicated by Professor Kirkwood as presenting 
signs of recurring in old times with some regularity and frequency on a cer- 
tain date, of which, unlike that last described, the modern appearances are 
either conjectural and uncertain or entirely wanting ¢. The annual date of 
this shower is from the last two days in April to the first of May; its period 
of revolution appears to be about seven years. For the possible representa- 
* See these Reports for 1871, p. 51. 
t “On the Meteors of January 2nd,” a paper by Prof. D. Kirkwood, read before the 
American Philosophical Society, November 21st, 1873. 
igen the Meteors of April 30th and May Ist,” by Prof. D. Kirkwood, ‘ Nature, May 
(4. 
