443 
between Mars and Jupiter have been found to be so 
numerous,, and many of them so very small in diameter, the 
lunar origin of the meteorites has been altogether abandoned,. 
The popular theory now is that all the meteoric phenomena I 
have been describing— the falling stars, the flaming meteors 
or fire-balls, and the meteoric stones which have fallen from 
the heavens— are connected together, and are all due to the 
attraction, within the limits of our atmosphere, of inter* 
planetary masses, similar to those forming the ring of asteroids 
between Mars and Jupiter. 
In the first place it must be remarked that no law of perio- 
dicity whatever has been observed in the fall of meteoric 
stones. Looking over a list of all the observed falls of meteoric 
stones, I can find no periods of maximum numbers of falls 
near the same day of the month. A few years ago it seemed 
as if more falls occurred at one period of the year than at 
others ; but the addition of recent observations to the list 
proves such deductions to have been fallacious. For instance, 
looking at the list, the 13th of December would seem at first 
sight to give a period for the fall of meteoric bodies. Up to 
the year 1813 four stones fell in different years on the 13th of 
December, and one on the 14th, and no others were recorded 
as falling in that month. Since that year seven falls have 
been recorded in December, not one of which on any day 
near the 13th and 14th. The first five recorded instances for 
the month of December must therefore be regarded as 
simply a curious coincidence of dates,- especially as the dates 
for every other month fail to point out the existence of any 
periodical days for the fall of meteorites. 
The same want of period- days applies to the fire-balls, or 
large flaming meteors, or bolides as they are sometimes called, 
passing very near the earth's surface, and often exploding with 
a loud report. 
With regard to the falling stars, I have already observed 
that the remarkable period- days for their manifestation apply 
only to what we may call the great showers, or star-storms. 
Falling stars are seen at all places on the earth's surface more 
or less frequently by night, every night in the year. The 
periodical showers, such as those of August and November, 
are not seen every year. They appear for a few years perhaps 
in succession, and then almost disappear altogether for several 
years in any notable number on those particular period- 
days j so much so that before the great fall of last year, one 
French scientific observer, devoting himself to the observation 
of falling stars, was altogether sceptical as to the existence of 
these periodic days. 
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