l82 Royal Soslefj of London. 



twelve miles from Benares, and penetrated fonie inches into 

 the earth in feveral fpots within the diftance of loo yards j 

 their fall being accompanied by a very vivid light. 



Mr. Howard proceeds to mention another fpecimen from 

 the Mufaeum Bornianum, now in the polVeffion of Mr. Gre- 

 ville, faid to have fallen in Eoheniia, which agrees with the 

 reft in its charaiSlers. A rnineralogical defcriplion of thefe 

 ftones by the Count de Bournon is fubjoined. They appear 

 to confift principally of fubftances of four kinds, befides the 

 dark crulr which furrounds them : the firll of thefe fubftances 

 is in the form of dark grains, of a conchoidal frafturc, from 

 the fize of a pin's head to that of a pea; the fecond is a kind 

 of pyrites, the third is metallic iron, and the fourth a gray 

 earthy fubftance, ferving as a cement to the reft. The pro- 

 portions of thefe fubftances appear to differ in fome meafure 

 in the different fpccimens, the iron abounding moft in the 

 fpecimens from Yorkfliire and from Bohemia. Mr. Howard 

 has afcertained, by a chemical analyfis, that filica, iron, mag- 

 riefia, fulphur, and nickel, are contained in the different parts 

 of thefe fubftances. The globular bodies and the cementing 

 earth each contained about 50 filex, 15 magnefia, 34 iron, 

 and ^ nickel. 



From 150 grains of the earthy part of the ftone from Si- 

 enna, Mr. Howard obtained about 70 filica, 34 magnefia, 

 52 oxide if iron, and 3 oxide of nickel; the contents of the 

 fpecimens from Yorkfh.ire and from Bohemia were not ma- 

 teriiilly diffcreni. Mr. Howard proceeds to inquire into the 

 cauies of the difference in the refults of his analyfis and thofe 

 of the foreign chemifts, with refpcft to the fpeciesofthe 

 earths. After having (liowii the ftriking analogy between 

 thefe fubftances, and their total difiimilarity to other mineral 

 products, Mr. Howard examines into the form and contents 

 of vn-uais fpecimens of native iron : ohferving that Mr. Prouft 

 detec'c'd nickel in a large tnafs of native iron found in South 

 America ; Mr. Howarcl difcovers a portion of the fame metal 

 in every fpecimen that he has examined from different parts 

 of the world, A defcription of thefe fpecimens by the Count 

 de Bournon is inferted, and the large mafs difcovercd by pro- 

 fefTor Pallas in Siberia, is particularly defcribed. It is found 

 to contain detached niaffes of fenii-tranfparent fubftances con- 

 liderabiy refcmblingfomeof the conftituent parts of the ftones 

 from Benares. Mr. Howard does not give a decided opinion 

 refpc6\ing the origin of all thefe fubftances ; he only obferves 

 that they agree in feveral remarkable properties, diftinguifli- 

 ing them from all other bodies, that they all appear, from 

 well authenticated accomits, to have fallen on the earih, at- 

 tended 



