306 Supposed Connection of Meteoric Phenomena, 



leoric iron, and protosulphuret of iron, in distinct crystals. 

 The two former substances made up the greater part of the 

 mass. Every thing gave reason to suppose that this stone 

 was volcanic. {Amer, Jour., xvi. 194.) * 



It now remains for me to offer a few remarks respecting 

 the origin of the extraordinary phenomena which have been 

 the subject of my present ol3servations. Various hypo- 

 theses have been brought forward to solve the difficulty. 

 Some have contended that meteors are independent bodies, 

 revolving like comets, and occasionally brought within the 

 earth's atmosphere. Others, with the celebrated Halley at 

 their head, considered them to be combustible vapours sud- 

 denly ignited on the verge of our atmosphere. Dr. Blagden 

 {Phil, Trans., 1784.) regarded them as electrical. M. 

 Izarn and others believed them to be volcanic materials pro- 

 jected in eruptions. Chladni considers them as unconnected 

 substances afloat in free space, suddenly inflamed. Olbers 

 and the editors of the Phil. Trans, abridged have regarded 

 them as projectiles from the moon. This, however, is giving 

 to the man in the moon a skill in rifle-shooting which we 

 have no authority for. Surely Dr. Herschel, who has 

 brought the volcanoes of the moon within forty miles of 

 Hounslow, would have seen an eruption before now, if they 

 be so frequent f as these supposed selenitic bodies would in- 

 fer, in that hypothesis. The latest notions on the subject are, 

 those of Mrs. Somerville {Connection of the Physical Sciences), 

 whose hypothesis is that of Olbers ; and that pf Dr. Brewster, 

 quoting the experiments, &c., of Fusinieri (in the Encyclopcedia 

 Britannica, vol. viii. p. 585. 7th ed. ; which latter has engaged 

 the notice of the Edinburgh Review, April, 1834, p. 170. 

 The opinions of Fusinieri are entitled to the highest con- 

 sideration. J He shows that, in electrical experiments, and 



* The meteoric iron of Louisiana, and of Santa Rosa, in South America, 

 each contain the same proportions ; namely, iron, 90*02 parts; nickel, 9*674. 

 Mr. Sheppard considers them portions of one aerolite, which traversed the 

 atmosphere in a direction parallel to the extent of America. (Silliraan's 

 Journaly xvi. 217.) Berzelius has given the analysis of a meteorite which 

 fell in Macedonia (date unknown), which is principally composed of nickel, 

 iron, magnetic pyrites, and olivine, (-^rc^zw Kastner.y xvii. 228.) 



-}• " The fall of meteoric stones is much more frequent than is generally 

 believed; hardly a year passes without some instances occurring," &c. 

 ( Somei'vtlle, p . 40 1 . ) 



\ Injustice to him, as well as to my own reasonings, I must here quote 

 a passage from the article on Electricity, in the Encyc. Brit. : — 



" M. Fusinieri has collected and detailed many interesting observations 

 respecting the substances deposited by lightning upon the various parts of 

 houses which have been struck by it; but we regret that our limits will not 

 permit us to pursue any farther this most important subject. These and 



