PROGRESS OF METEORIC ASTRONOMY IN AMERICA. 313 
vestigations of a similar character have been carried out by 
other eminent chemists in the country. 
The zeal and industry of Professor Shepard was shown in 
his extensive collection of meteoric specimens, which at the 
time of his death was the largest in America. 
The attempt to bring together all the published observa¬ 
tions in this country in one systematic collection is a task 
beset with grave difficulties. 
The reports of these observations are scattered through all 
the scientific journals, the metropolitan and local newspapers, 
and the proceedings of all grades of learned societies. Fre¬ 
quently the reports, when found, have but little scientific 
value from lack of the necessary information. In many 
instances much time and space are wasted in describing 
trivial details which have no interest or value in connection 
with the true meteoric phenomena, while the really essential 
data are not mentioned. 
It sometimes happens that the only available information 
in regard to a meteorite is derived from the report of its 
chemical examination, and there can be found no astronomi¬ 
cal data whatever to account for its position; it is simply a 
portion of the earth’s surface, and the how, when, and whence 
of its advent remain unanswered. 
It has been impossible, sometimes, t6 find any trustworthy 
authority for essential data, and it has been necessary fre¬ 
quently to interpret freely where the observer or writer has 
given but a slight clue to his meaning. 
In nearly all cases marginal references are made to the 
original papers in order to facilitate further examination, if 
desired. 
The Catalogues. 
The catalogues of Sporadic Meteors, Meteoric Showers, 
Observed Meteorites, and Discovered Meteorites are supposed 
to contain all observations, accompanied with the necessary 
data that have been found in the various publications to 
which the author has had access. It is not assumed, how- 
