212 0. C. Farrington — Times of Fall of Meteorites. 



credit after a time, since the record of falls usually lags several 

 years behind their occurrence. The largest number of falls 

 shown in any year during the period is 11, in 1868. The years 

 1865, 1877 and 1886 show 7 each. All the other years show 

 from 1 to 6 falls each. On the whole, therefore, the record 

 seems to indicate a comparatively uniform supply of meteorites, 

 which is the more remarkable when one considers the various 

 chances affecting the observation of their fall. The record 

 seems to afford no evidence of cycles or periodicity which can 

 be traced with certainty. Still the record of years is perhaps 

 not as satisfactory for establishing conclusions in this regard 

 as is that of other periods. As the writer has shown else- 

 where,* at least 900 meteorites probably reach the earth yearly. 

 Of these only an average number of 3 is recorded, so that it is 

 evident that a large allowance must be made for unrecorded 

 ones. Yet it is fair to presume that those recorded are typical 

 of the whole, because while opportunities for observation of 

 meteorite falls have probably continually increased in number 

 since 1800, the record by decades shows that the decade from 

 1860 to 1870 considerably exceeded in number of falls either 

 of -the two succeeding ones. 



Passing from the falls by years, the falls by months may be 

 examined. Snch an examination should have an especial sig- 

 nificance in showing the relations which meteorites may have 

 to well-known star showers. Two of the best known of these 

 showers occur in August and November. If meteorites are 

 related to these, these months should show a larger fall than 

 others. If meteorites are not related to these, no special 

 increase for these months should be shown. On compiling the 

 results the latter proves to be true. The months exhibiting the 

 greatest number of falls are May and June. The number for 

 November falls below the average and that for August rises only 

 slightly above. The evidence from this record is therefore that 

 meteorites are not related to the best known star showers. It is 

 fair to presume that the record by months will be somewhat 

 influenced by the time that observers are most abroad. Most of 

 the observations of meteorite falls are made in the northern 

 hemisphere and in this hemisphere observers are more likely 

 to be out of doors and hence more likely to observe the fall of 

 meteorites in the summer than in the winter months. The 

 record shows that as a whole the number of falls recorded is 

 less for the winter than the summer months, yet the number 

 of falls cannot be influenced by that alone since the high record 

 for May and June drops to nearly half that number in July. 

 Further the months of August, September and October are 

 * Pop. Sci. Mon. 1904, pp. 351-354. 



