Obsidian Bombs in Australia. 51 



as the Moldavites or Bouteilleiistein of Bohemia and the glass 

 balls of Billiton desmbed by Verbeek, who also includes these 

 objects in the same category. Among more uncertain occurrence 

 might be mentioned one described by Karl Emil Kluge.^ Under 

 the Bouteillenstein variety of obsidian he states that such green- 

 bottle balls come from India. They are from two to two-and-a- 

 half inches in diameter, and are as hard as quartz. In the 

 interior are found cavities about the size of large peas. Whilst 

 one of them was being sliced by a Paris lapidary, the half which 

 was not secured burst with a hissing sound and a detonation that 

 resembled the bursting of "Rupert's drops." The specimens 

 described by Beudant from Mount Patko, on account of their 

 close resemblance, might also be included pi'ovisionally. 



Considered as meteorites, then, their extraordinary manner of 

 distribution is at once satisfactorily explained, and their surface 

 sculpture is also consistent with such an hypothesis, it not having 

 been met with on any undoubted terrestrial rocks ; but, beyond 

 this, we have nothing but negative evidence in its favour, and 

 unless an actual fall is observed, it is quite apparent that its 

 advocacy must be almost entirely based upon such evidence. It 

 is, therefore, important that all other possible explanations 

 should be thoroughly investigated and exhausted. If this is 

 done, and they are all dismissed as untenable, we should, I think, 

 be justified in attributing a cosmic origin to them. 



In conclusion, I have to thank Mr. T. 8. Hall and others who 

 have kindly rendered me assistance in the preparation of this 

 paper. 



Literature. 



BroiOfi, H. V. L. — Catalogue of South Australian Minerals, etc., 



1893, p. 25. 

 Crt;//^«w.— Trans. Royal Soc. 8. Aust., vol. iv. (1880-81), p. 149. 

 Chaiidler, /.—Trans. Royal Soc. S. Aust., vol. iv. (1880-81), 



p. 148. 

 Clarke^ Rev. W. B. — " On the Occurrence of Obsidian Bombs in 



the Auriferous Alluvia of jSTew South Wales." Quart. 



Journ. Geol. Soc, vol. xi. (185.5), p. 403. 



1 Haiidbueh der Edelsteinkunde fur Mineralogen, Steinschiieider und Juweliere, 1S60, 

 p. 42.5. 



