HANDBOOK OF THE METEORITE COLLECTIONS. 27 



Naturally the possibility of human beings and animals being struck 

 by these falling bodies has been discussed, and several instances dat- 

 ing, back to periods from 1511 to 1674 are mentioned in which per- 

 sons were killed. It must be confessed that the absence of any re- 

 corded instances of this sort within more recent times, when the 

 subject could be discussed more calmly, renders the occurrences open 

 to question. 



NUMBER OF FALLS AND WEIGHTS. 



Upward of 650 falls and finds of meteorites have been reported, 

 representatives of which have found their way into museums and 

 private collections, and there preserved for study and investigation. 

 These, however, constitute a very small fraction of those which 

 actually fall and are never recovered, since it is estimated that up- 

 ward of 20,000,000 strike the earth daily. These are for the most 

 part very small, perhaps scarcely more than a grain in weight. It is 

 interesting as well as singular that of all that have been seen to fall 

 and have been recovered but nine are of iron. The largest known 

 meteoric mass is that brought by Commander Peary from Cape York, 

 Greenland. This weighed 73,000 pounds. The next largest lies in the 

 plain near Bacubirito in Mexico, and has been estimated to weigh 

 some 50,000 pounds, while the third is that of Willamette, Oregon, 

 weighing 31,107 pounds. These are all iron meteorites. The largest 

 known individual aerolite or meteoric stone is that of Knyahinya, 

 Hungary, weighing some 550 pounds, now in the Vienna National 

 Museum.^ 



It may be added, in conclusion, that all known meteorites are of an 

 igneous nature and have yielded no traces of animal or vegetable 

 life, although the peculiar radiating and grate-like structures of the 

 chondrules were at one time mistaken for organic remains.^ 



1 The Estacado, Texas, stone is stated to have weighed nearly 640 pounds when found, 

 but it lias since been cut up. 



2 0. Hahn, Die Meteorite (Chondrite) und ihre Organismen, Tiibingen, 1880. 



