418 MEMOIRS NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, VOL. XIII. 



According to composition and structure, Smithland stands next to Babbs Mill, although it is also of somewhat finer 

 structure. It partakes with Morradal the varnish-like luster, but distinguishes itself from the same by the absence of 

 the dark grains and spindle-like shape. 



The meteorite is distributed, the British Museum (2,556 grams) and Harvard (1,877 grams) 

 possessing the largest pieces. AsTroost mentions only 2.1 kgs. and collections report over 5 kgs. 

 other masses must have been obtained. 



BIBLIOGRAPHY. 



1. 1846: Troost. Description of three varieties of meteoric iron. — 3. Meteoric iron from Livingston County, Ken- 



tucky. Amer. Journ. Sci., 2d ser., vol. 2, pp. 357-358. 



2. 1859-1862: Von Reichenbach. No. 9, pp. 162, 176, 177, and 182; No. 11, p. 291; No. 13, p. 354; No. 15, p. 100; 



No. 17, pp. 268 and 273; No. 20, p. 630. 



3. 1862: Greg. On some meteorites in the British Museum. — Irons 8. Livingston County, Kentucky. Philos. Mag., 



vol. 24, p. 540. 



4. 1863: Rose. Meteoriten, p. 24. 



5. 1885: Brezina. Wiener Sammlung, pp. 203, 219, and 234. 



6. 1893: Meunier. Revision des fers meteoriques, pp. 16 and 20. 



7. 1895: Brezina. Wiener Sammlung, p. 297. 



8. 1898: Cohen. Meteoreisen Studien VII. Ann. K. K. Naturhist. Hofmus, Wien, Bd. 13, pp. 45-47. 



9. 1905: Cohen. Meteoritenkunde, Heft 3, pp. 101-104. 



SMITHS MOUNTAIN. 



Rockingham County, North Carolina. 

 Here also Rockingham County. 

 Latitude 36° 3W N., longitude 79° 5' W. 

 Iron. Fine octahedrite (Of) of Brezina. 

 Found 1863; mentioned 1872. 

 Weight, 5 kgs. (11 lbs.). 



This meteorite was first mentioned by Tschermak ' in his catalogue of 1872 as an octa- 

 hedrite with medium lamellae. 



Smith 2 stated in 1874 that he had found a small green mass of solid lawrencite and had 

 tested it qualitatively. 



In 1875 Kerr 3 gave the history of the meteorite as follows: 



Mr. W. C. Kerr, State geologist of North Carolina, obtained this meteorite in 1866 from a Mr. Peters, who found 

 it a few years earlier, and who lived near the point where it was picked up. 



It was found in an old field which had not been cultivated for 20 years, on top of a high hill — Smiths Mountain — 

 and near the site of a former dwelling, so that its fall probably occurred within 20 years of its discovery. 



The mass is very compact and almost as hard as steel. The original weight was within 1 ounce of 11 pounds. 

 It was coated with rust. 

 Analysis (Genth): 



Fe Ni+Co P-Ni-Fe Cu 



90. 41 8. 74 0. 14-0. 33-0. 27 0. 11 =99. 97 



It consists of a mixture of several iron-nickel alloys, intermixed with phosphide of nickel iron. The iron contains 

 pyrites, and probably quartz or a silicate in minute quantity. 



This meteoric iron is undoubtedly one of the most interesting in existence. Genth also notes the presence of 

 chloride of iron. 



Its structure is highly crystalline, and when polished or etched develops remarkably fine Widmannstatten figures 

 with delicate markings on the inside of the figures. Smith likewise discovered chloride of iron in this meteorite. 



Smith 4 gave a nearly similar account as follows: 



This meteorite was first brought to my notice in 1870 by Prof. W. E. Kerr, the geologist of the State of North Car- 

 olina; but a short time afterwards, seeing a notice of it by Doctor Genth in the Proceedings of the Academy of Sciences 

 of Philadelphia, and as he proposed giving a further description of the same at some future time, I laid aside my notes 

 concerning it; but having frequently been asked for particulars in relation to it from those possessing specimens, I 

 have concluded to publish the notes made at the time it came into my possession. 



This iron was discovered in Rockingham County, North Carolina, on a spot known as Smiths Mountain, 2 miles 

 north of the town of Madison, about latitude 36° 20^, longitude 79° 45'. It was found by a Mr. Peters, from whom 

 Professor Kerr obtained it about the year 1863, and was lying on the surface of an old field which had been out of cul- 

 tivation less than 20 years, and for that reason is supposed to have fallen within that period. 



