Star-Showers of Former Times. 365 



some slight indications that such radiant was noticed, occur in 

 Nos. 14, 16, 29, 35. No comparison as to this particular can be 

 made between the ancient and the modern meteoric displays.* 



If the foregoing catalogue comprised all the star-showers that 

 have ever occurred, it would be easy to determine the cycle of the 

 shower of any particular date. In the present state of our knowl- 

 edge, it may be inferred that the cycle of the November shower 

 is about thirty four years. There is of course some ground for 

 expecting about the year 1867, a recurrence of the splendid dis- 

 plays of November 13, 1832 and 1833. It is remarkable that 

 Humboldt mentions that the earthquakes of 1766 in South Amer- 

 ica, were preceded by phenomena like those of November 12, 

 1799. I have searched several American newspapers of the 

 former period, but find no trace of any such meteoric display in 

 the United States. The cycle of the April shower may be about 

 twenty seven years ; but it does not appear that any unusual num- 

 ber of meteors was seen in April, 1830. It is, however, not to be 

 supposed that the cycle remains constant through successive ages. 



A just theory of shooting stars must explain all the meteoric 

 showers enumerated in the foregoing list, so far as they are truly 

 stated. It must likewise account for all the meteoric seasons 

 which exist at the present time, and also for the shooting stars of 

 daily occurrence, which, taking into view the whole globe, are 

 exceedingly numerous. The most probable hypothesis is, that 

 there are revolving around the sun, millions of small planetary and 

 nebulous bodies, of various magnitudes and densities ; and that 

 when any of these dart through our atmosphere, they become 

 ignited and are seen as shooting stars. To ascertain the mode 

 in which they are arranged in the solar system, is an important 

 object of inquiry. A single zone or ring of such bodies is insuffi- 

 cient to account for all the known phenomena. 



* The following passage from Ptolemy (differing somewhat from that quoted 

 under No. 17,) deserves notice here, as showing that observations upon the direc- 

 tions of shooting stars were not unknown in his time. — " Discursiones et jacula- 

 tiones stellarum si ab uno angulo prorumpant, inde quoque ventum emittunt. Sin 

 occurrant inter se, ventorumque prselia suscitant. Sin vero de quatuor plagis ruant, 

 hyemes varias ferunt, atque etiam"fulmina, tonitrua, et quae alia hujusmodi sunt." — 

 Claud. Ptol. lib. dejudiciis, interp. J. Camerario, fol. Basil. 1551, p. 403. 



Vol. XL, No. 2.— Jan.-March, 1841. 47 



