28 ANNUAL RECORD OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. 



to its own variable atmospheric phenomena. Its bright- 

 ness varies between the sixth and tenth magnitudes. The 

 dimensions of the four satellites (1, 2, 3, and 4) decrease in 

 the order 3, 4, 1, and 2. The intrinsic brightness decreases 

 in the order 1, 2, 3, and 4. The variability decreases in the 

 order 4, 1, 2, and 3.-6 B, LXXXL, 145, 233. 



METEOKS OF AUGUST IOTH-IItH, 1875. 



The August meteors were observed at Lisbon, in 1875, 

 with the following results : 



lOMl^ 43 meteors; llM2^\96; 12^3^241; 13^^-14^ 

 331 ; 14'^-15^\ 385 ; loMC^, 131. Total, 1227 meteors in six 

 hours, or an average of 205 meteors per hour. 22 i>, 1875, 

 No. 266. 



SPECTRA OF THE GASES CONTAINED IN METEORITES. 



Professor A. W. Wright, of Yale College, in 1875 exam- 

 ined spectroscopically the gases derived from the meteorite 

 which fell in Iowa County, Iowa, February 12, '1875. This 

 was of the ordinary stony kind, containing, according to an 

 analysis by Professor J. L. Smith, 12.54 joer cent, of nickel- 

 iferous iron, and it was investigated in order to determine 

 whether the spectrum of the gases evolved from it by heat 

 would afford any information respecting the recent theories 

 connecting such meteorites with comets. 



The spectrum obtained was chiefly that of the carbon com- 

 pounds, and showed a very close resemblance to the spectra 

 of several of the comets. It was stated at that time that 

 the nature of their gaseous contents establishes a marked 

 distinction between the stony meteorites and the iron me- 

 teorites. Professor Wright has lately taken up this inves- 

 tigation, with the view of making a more extended com- 

 parison of the gases from the two classes, and the results of 

 his examination of several specimens of both classes justifies 

 his former conclusions. All suitable precautions were taken 

 in obtaining and preserving the gases, and portions of the 

 Iowa meteorite were re-examined with the result of confirm- 

 ing previous conclusions. 



Professor Wright is still engaged on this research, but he 

 considers the evolution of such large volumes of carbon 

 dioxide as characteristic of the stony meteorites, and the re- 



