106 On Meteorites. 
In the meteorites we have, as seen, at last something palpable 
which we are able to study. It will therefore be of great interest 
to have their connection with the shooting-stars and comets more 
definitely established. The study of the orbits of the meteorites, 
however, is rendered much more difficult than that of the shooting- 
stars by their comparatively much rarer and more unexpected 
= occurrence, by the terrifying phenomena often accompanying them, 
and by the fact that they are seldom observed by others than 
ignorant people. The mode of studying the orbits of the meteor- 
ites must, therefore, be different from that suited to the case of the 
shooting-stars. 
Having made a special study of the dates of the recorded falls of 
meteorites, I have come to the conclusion that they, or at least some 
of them, may be referred to certain systems like the shooting-stars, 
and that in some cases periods—suggesting a connection with a 
certain group of comets—may be set down with some probability. 
The orbit of the earth around the sun may be considered as 
divided into three hundred aad sixty-five parts, one of which is 
traversed on each day of the year. That the fall of a meteorite 
occurs on a certain date means, then, that the part of the earth’s 
December, 1883, between eight and nine o’clock, as Mr. Lionzes, a book- 
seller in Fredrikstad, Norway, was standing in his yard looking inci- 
dentally up into the sky, he observed a shooting-star in the north, at æ 
height of about 60°, moving in a curve and gradually increasing a little 
in size. The exact length of time he is unable to state: he had turned 
his eyes away, when suddenly a small, shining body fell down before 
his feet, not two yards off, passing him so closely that in his fright be 
sprang aside. When the meteor struck the ground sparks flew in all 
directions, and a faint report was heard. This noise was also heard by 
his daughter, who at the time was in the passage leading to the yard. 
Shortly after— about a minute’—both father and daughter observed & 
similar meteor in the same direction, which seemed to descend behind 
a neighboring house. 
“The gentleman mentioned is uncertain as to the exact date of the 
observation ; but the choice seems to lie between the Saturdays, Novem- 
ber 3d, November 23d, and December Ist; but as, according to the 
meteorological observations recorded at the Fredrikstad Station, the 
sky was overcast on the two former Saturdays, the fall must have taken 
place on December Ist, when the weather was rather clear. He has 
stated to me that the size of the shining body was comparable to that of 
a walnut, and the little fragments into which it was broken when strik- 
ing the ground he compared to small beads. Unfortunately, he omit 
to collect them, and later search was unavailing, as the yard had beer 
swept several times afterwards.”’ 
