0. C. Harrington — Times of Fall of Meteorites. 213 



Fig. 1. Falls of meteorites by months. 



equally favorable as regards weather for observations of mete- 

 orite falls with those of April, May and June, yet the latter 

 period much excels the former in number of falls. The excess 

 of falls in May and June must, therefore, be due to other causes 

 than favorable conditions of observation and seems to indicate 

 that. in the portion of the earth's orbit passed through in these 

 months there is an unusual number of meteorites. The full 

 record for the different months is as follows : 



Jan. Feb. Mar. April May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. 

 25 24 22 32 44 45 23 36 30 24 24 21=350 



This record is shown graphically in the accompanying diagram, 



%. i. 



Comparison of the falls of meteorites by months as here 

 given with those of falling stars and fireballs as given by W. H. 

 Pickering* shows a marked difference of distribution. Accord- 

 ing to Pickering's list the falling stars and fireballs are much 

 more uniformly distributed through the year than are meteorites, 

 and the period of greatest number is from July to November. 

 In May and June their number is at its minimum. Hence the 

 record seems to show a difference in character between mete- 

 ors and meteorites and furnishes per se a ground for question- 

 ing the gradation that has been supposed to exist between 

 meteors and meteorites. 



* Popular Astronomy, No. 165. 



