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SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXXIII. No. 838 



gap as the eccentricities increase is very- 

 noticeable. 



Again, according to the theory of a num- 

 ber of asteroids started at various times 

 with the same eccentricity and with periods 

 which bring them near the ratio on the 

 inner side but not such as to allow them to 

 librate, we shall at a future time be more 

 likely to find the values of the eccentricity 

 large at a distance from the gap and small 



next slide (Fig. 3). It will be seen that 

 there is a notable deficiency near to the 

 gap and that this deficiency is much more 

 marked than the general distribution 

 would lead one to expect. 



Further support is derived from the in- 

 clinations. With the ratio 2 : 1, there should 

 be no very noticeable difference in the dis- 

 tribution of large and small inclinations 

 round this gap, and the next slide (Fig. 4) 



near the gap. The reverse would occur 

 with asteroids on the outer side. The ob- 

 servations confirm this result in a marked 

 degree on the inner side. The number of 

 known asteroids on the outer side is too 

 small to furnish a test, but if the observed 

 distribution is typical of the real distribu- 

 tion the theory would be confirmed. The 

 need of more asteroids, especially on the 

 outer side, is evident. 



That these peculiarities are not conse- 

 quences of the general distribution of the 

 large eccentricities will appear from the 



shows this. The curves for i greater than 

 10° can be compared with those for i less 

 than 10° and also with those for each 5° 

 greater than 10°. It is seen at once that 

 there is no selection of the large or small 

 inclinations. The distribution for large 

 inclinations appears to follow the same gen- 

 eral law as the distribution for smaU. in- 

 clinations. If we refer back for a moment 

 to the slide giving the distribution of the 

 eccentricities, it will be seen how different 

 the two distributions are. 



I have hitherto spoken solely of the ratio 



