382 Royal Society : — 



meteoric nature of the imbedded material seemed to be rendered 

 much more probable. Again, in looking at the wood which imme- 

 diately suiTounded that portion of the mass which remained, as it is 

 now, firmly inserted in the tree, a blackened substance was observed 

 to be interpolated between the supposed meteorite and the sur- 

 rounding sound wood. On the outside of this substance (which had 

 somewhat a charred aspect) we observed a true bark, which follows 

 the sinuosities of the wood wherever the latter appears to have been 

 influenced by the intrusion of the foreign mineral matter. [The spe- 

 cimen is represented in the annexed wood-cut.] 



Seeing thus enough to satisfy our conjecture, if sanctioned by 

 other evidence, I desired Mr. Poole to bring all the fragments of the 

 wood he had not destroj'ed which surrounded this body. On placing 

 the ends of some of these (also now exhibited) on the parts from 

 which they had been sawed off, they indicated that the space be- 

 tween the mineral substance and the surrounding sound wood 

 widened upwards ; the decayed wood passing into brown earthy 

 matter with an opening or cavity into which rootlets extended. On 

 interrogating Mr. Poole, who cut down the tree and superintended 

 the breaking up of its timber, I learnt from him all requisite parti- 

 culars respecting its dimensions, the position of the ferruginous 

 mass, the quantity of wood above and below it, a description of the 

 place where the stool of the tree was still to be seen, and of the 

 parties who, living on the spot, were acquainted with every circum- 

 stance which could throw light on the case. 



At this period of the inquiry, the Museum in Jermyn Street was 



