Prof. Berzelius on Meteoric Stones. 431 



spheric air, or even possibly williout either air or mois- 

 ture. 



Astronomical researches have not as yet discovered in the 

 moon any traces of water large enough to be distinguished by 

 good glasses, and M. Berzelius considers that water has not 

 been met with chemically combined in meteoric stones. We 

 shall see hereafter that the greater number of meteoric stones 

 resemble each other so much in their composition that they 

 may be considered to come from the same mountain, that is, 

 from the central culminating point of that side of the moon 

 which is always turned towards the earth. A small number 

 only present a different appearance, and it is therefore pro- 

 bable that these proceed from mountains situated on other 

 parts of the moon. 



Nevertheless meteoric stones may have their origin in an- 

 other planet. Olbers considers that the asteroids between Mars 

 and Jupiter may be fragments arising from the destruction of 

 a larger jilanet, an idea which has induced the search for 

 more of these fragments, and the disco\ery of one of them 

 by Olbers hiniself. If such a catastrophe has occuired, which 

 seems established by the great angle that the course of Pallas 

 makes with that of the other planets, an immense number of 

 small fragments would be projected in such directions that 

 their course around the sun being diminished, they would then 

 during their revolution come within the sphere of attraction 

 of other planets, and fall on them. From these preliminary 

 considerations on the origin of meteoric stones, M. Berzelius 

 proceeds to the chemical examination of many oi" them. 

 Unable in this place to notice the processes which he em- 

 ployed in his analyses, we confine ourselves to the results at 

 which he has arrived, and the conclusions which he has 

 drawn from them. 



I. The Meteorite of Bla/isko. — This stone, which induced 

 M. Berzelius to undertake this work, fell at a quarter past six 

 on the evening of the 25di of November 1833, in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Blansko in Moravia. As usual it produced a 

 very brilliant light, and its flight was preceded by noise re- 

 sembling thunder. M. Reichenbach, who witnessed the pha;- 

 nomenon, could only collect a few fragments ; the principal 

 mass has not yet been discovered, the surrounding country 

 being thickly wooiled*. 



It resembles those meteoric stones which are most com- 

 monly met with, and may therefore be ranked with those of 

 Benares, L'Aigle, Berlongville, &c. One portion is magnetic, 

 the other is not so; this latter part is but partially soluble in 

 acids: that which was dissolved gives in one hundred parts: 

 ♦ [See Loud, and P:(liMb. Phil. M:u^., vol. vi. p. l.'il).] 



