  (abridged) The velocity distribution f(v) of nearby stars is estimated, via a
maximum- likelihood algorithm, from the positions and tangential velocities of
a kinematically unbiased sample of 14369 stars observed by the HIPPARCOS
satellite. f(v) shows rich structure in the radial and azimuthal motions, v_R
and v_phi, but not in the vertical velocity, v_z: there are four prominent and
many smaller maxima, many of which correspond to well known moving groups.
While samples of early-type stars are dominated by these maxima, also up to 25%
of red main-sequence stars are associated with them. These moving groups are
responsible for the vertex deviation measured even for samples of late-type
stars; they appear more frequently for ever redder samples; and as a whole they
follow an asymmetric-drift relation, in the sense that those only present in
red samples predominantly have large |v_R| and lag in v_phi w.r.t. the local
standard of rest (LSR). The question arise, how these old moving groups got on
their eccentric orbits. A plausible mechanism, known from solar system
dynamics, which is able to manage a shift in orbit space involves locking into
an orbital resonance.
  Apart from these moving groups, there is a smooth background distribution,
akin to Schwarzschild's ellipsoidal model, with axis ratio of about 1:0.6:0.35
in v_R, v_phi, and v_z. The contours are aligned with the $v_r$ direction, but
not w.r.t. the v_phi and v_z axes: the mean v_z increases for stars rotating
faster than the LSR. This effect can be explained by the stellar warp of the
Galactic disk. If this explanation is correct, the warp's inner edge must not
be within the solar circle, while its pattern rotates with frequency of about
13 km/s/kpc or more retrograde w.r.t. the stellar orbits.
