Ixx Presidents Address 



regions, and to be in truth falling stars. They have the 

 same relation to comets as the asteroids have to the planets ; 

 in both cases their small size is made up by their greater 

 number. Lastly, we may presume that it is certain that 

 falling stars, meteors, and aerolites differ in size only and not 

 in composition ; therefore we may presume that they are 

 an example of what the universe is composed of. As in 

 them we find no elements foreign to those of the earth, 

 we may infer the similarity of composition of all the 

 universe — a fact already suggested by the revelations of the 

 spectroscope." 



Professor Schiaparelli had noticed a remarkable likeness 

 between the elements of the orbits of some of these meteor 

 groups to those of some well-known comets, the perihelion 

 passage occurring approximately at near dates, the 

 direction of their motion alike, the point they intersect 

 the ecliptic, and their inclination to it very similar, while 

 the distances of their nearest approach to the sun, and 

 their period of revolution, have also a marked like- 

 ness. The relations are very remarkable and Professor 

 Schiaparelli concludes one of his last memoirs on this subject 

 in these words : " These approximations need no comment. 

 Must we regard these falling stars as swarms of small 

 comets, or rather as the product of the dissolution of so 

 many great comets? I dare make no reply to such a 

 question." The conclusions of Professor Schiaparelli are of 

 the highest interest, and suggest some new and interesting 

 questions on the constitution of the universe. Are the 

 irresolvable nebula systems of these cosmical particles ? If 

 so it will add a fresh interest to our observations of the 

 changes going on in that of .Eta Argus. 



In a new country, such as ours, in which all are so 

 fully engaged in business pursuits, it would be un- 

 reasonable to expect so large an annual crop of scientific 



