©N METEORIC STONES. 5 



the largeft did not weigh half a pound. They were of fuch and of a tender 

 a tender texture, that they refembled the foam of the tea texture ' 

 condenfed more than any thing. You might ftrike on them 

 with your hand without tear or bruife, or pain, or the ilighteft 

 mark. The king has ordered fome to be Tent you, &c." 



It feems from this defcription, that thefe ftones rauft have 

 been very different from thofe of the prefent day. 



The ftone of Sigena, when delivered to Mr. Proud, weighed The (tone of 

 fix pounds ten ounces. With it was a piece of three or four Sl S enadefcnbcd » 

 ounces, the only one remaining of thole that had been broken 

 from it by curious perfons. It was interfperfed with fpols of Interfprrfeawhfr 

 run 1 , both externally and internally, owing probably to its ru y po k * 

 having been immerfed in water to try the effect of that fluid 

 on it. From thefe however, fome inftru&ive inferences may 

 be drawn refpe&ing the native place of thefe ftones. 



Its fhape is an irregular oval, {'even or eight inches long, Its figure* 

 four or five broad, and four in its greateft thicknefs. One fide 

 is flattim, a little deprefjed in the middle, and very round on 

 the edges; the other is an obtufe triedral pyramid with un- 

 equal fides, greatly rounded at the fummit and on the edges*. 

 It appears to have had the black vitreous cruft common to It had a vitreous 

 ftones of this kind, though from its fragility the greater part 

 has fallen off in pafling through many hands and receiving 

 occafional blows, fo that none remains except in the hollow 

 of the bafe, and a little on the faces of the pyramid. 



On examining this cruft it is eafy to fee, that it muft have This mufthave 



been the efTed of heat fubfequent to the formation of the ^een produced 



, n riii by violent mo- 



ftone, and unqueftionably very powerful though momentary ; mentary heat 



fince the metallic and fulphureous particles immediately fi^ceits forr/u- 



beneath the cruft had not time to change colour, or even Iofe 



their luftre. 



It has all the porofity of an aggregated mafs of fan dy it is porous, 

 particles without any cement, fo that the breath will eafily 

 pafs through a piece held between the teeth. It will not n °t very hard, 

 ftrike fire with fteel, and the fame may be faid of the pyrites 

 it contains. 



Its colour is a uniform bluifti gray, like that of a black fub- of a bluifli gray. 

 ftance enlightened by a white : it is the hue of an earthy com- 

 pound tinged by iron oxideii at a minimum* 



* Does this defcription agree with what is faid above, that feveral 

 pieces have been broken from it ? Apparently above a quarter of 

 the ftone, on comparing its original and prefent weight. J. C. 



The 



