20 Field Columbian Museum — Geology, Vol. III. 



pits in general have rounded outlines, and are about half as deep 

 as broad. A diameter of about half an inch (i cm.) is common, 

 but occasionally a breadth of one and a half inches (4 cm.) is reached. 

 At one point the bottoms of two pits on opposite sides meet and 

 produce the perforation shown in Plate XIV. This perforation is 

 about one-fourth of an inch (5 mm.) in diameter. Another pit 

 above this point produces a similar though smaller perforation. 

 A broader, shallow concavity with subordinate pits occurs upon 

 this same surface. The diameter of the outer rim of this concavity 

 is about three inches (8 cm.). The other broad surfaces of the 

 meteorite tend to be plane or convex. In addition to the pits, which 

 are confluent at their bases, there are many confluent at their sides, 

 producing irregular, sinuous depressions all over the surface of 

 the meteorite. While these cavities are referred to as pits they 

 should probably not be regarded as due to the aerial course of the 

 meteorite. On the contrary they are altogether produced, so far as 

 can be judged, by the weathering out of chrysolite from the metallic 

 matrix. That they indicate cavities previously occupied by chrys- 

 olite is shown partly by the spheroidal shape of the pits and partly 

 by the remains of chrysolite in some of the pits. The edges of the 

 pits are for the most part rounded so as not to leave sharp, pro- 

 jecting points. Such roundings may well have been caused by 

 fusion during the passage of the mass through the atmosphere. Al- 

 though the substance of the meteorite is tough and firm as a whole, 

 the surface is considerably rusted and the pits filled to some extent 

 with sand cemented with iron hydroxide. This indicates that the 

 meteorite has been exposed for some years to the elements, but 

 not many, for a moist climate, such as prevails in the region 

 where it was found, would cause rather rapid decomposition. The 

 coating of rust on the projecting ridges and points of the meteorite 

 or in the pits not filled with sand is very thin, a single scratch 

 with a file serving to reveal bright metal beneath. This rust 

 is dark brown in color. Where the pits are filled with cemented 

 sand the color becomes a yellowish-brown. There is no indi- 

 cation in the contour of the mass of its having been subjected to 

 movement and pressure, such as it would have undergone had it 

 been glacially transported. The indications are, therefore, that the 

 mass fell not many years ago near where it was found. 



The specific gravity of the meteorite was determined by weigh- 

 ing carefully the entire mass, first in air and then in water. This 

 gave the value G= 4.28. Assuming the specific gravity of chrysolite 



