THE BALD EAGLE METEORITE. 87 



out Stones for a stone-crusher, found in a bed of loose stones, about 

 two meters deep, something which resembled a stone in appearance. 

 It was covered with a fungus growth, as were the stones, but when 

 picked up attracted the laborer's attention on account of its weight. 

 He showed it to the Superintendent who tried to break it, and failing 

 attempted to cut it with a cold chisel, when it proved to be soft iron. 

 When several weeks later the owner of the crusher, Mr. George S. 

 Madock, came to the works it was given to him, and he, realizing its 

 value, presented it to this university. It weighs 3.3 Kilos. (7 lbs. 

 I oz. ) In shape it resembles in general outline, a human foot. (Fig. 

 2, plate VIII.) The flat face, corresponding to the sole, measures 

 16.6 cm. (6>^ inches) long, and 8 cm. (3^8 inches) wide at the 

 broadest place. From the extremity of the heel it projects upward 

 14 cm. (5j4 inches), ending in a point. The surface is covered with 

 a reddish brown iron rust. This easily scales off in many places, and 

 at several points this covering is so thin that the bright metal shines 

 through. It is pitted quite deeply in some places, and very irregular 

 in outline. * * * * Its specific gravity is 7.06. It is quite soft 

 compared with ordinary wrought iron. Chemical analysis gave Fe 

 91.36; Ni 7.56; Co. 0.70; PO .09; SO .06; Si. trace,= 99.77. 



Nothing is known as to the time of its fall, though as it was found 

 covered by several feet of stones which have not been moved sensibly 

 since the Susquehanna valley has been inhabited by white men, it 

 could not have been recent. As far as can be learned, this is the only 

 specimen of the fall which has been found." 



It has seemed to be desirable to add to this description by Prof. 

 Owens a view of this most interesting iron. The picture (Fig. 2, 

 plate VIII) is a half-tone taken from a photograph of the mass before 

 cutting. Its resemblance to a human foot is very striking, despite the 

 many rough notches and depressions which cover the surface. But few 

 of these depressions are well defined pittings, seeming rather to be 

 fractuosites, caused by the violent tearing of the iron from a parent 

 mass, and the sharpness of the angles and crests reduced by the attri- 

 tion to which the whole mass has been subjected. A portion only of 

 the surface, all the upper part of the ankle, has a well smoothed surface, 

 with a fine granulation akin to a skin or crust. On the back, above the 

 heel, are two sharp depressions, one round and yi of an inch in depth 

 and in diameter, the other, half as deep, a paralellogram ^ of an inch 

 long and /s inch wide. Both of these have vertical walls, and show 

 clearly as cavities which have once been filled with softer matter, prob- 



