466 Proceedings of Philosophical Societies. [June, 



late Cold Weather, &c. ; by Luke Howard, Esq. FRS. M. Met. 

 Soc. ; and Dr. Burney communicated the Results of his Journal 

 for March. 



May 12. — Dr. Burney communicated the Results of his Jour- 

 nal for April ; and the following paper was read : 



"An Account of the principal Phenomena of Igneous Meteors 

 winch were observed in the Year 1823; forming part of a 

 Review of the Progress of Meteorological Science during that 

 Period : with remarks on the Characters of certain Meteorites." 

 By E. W. Brayley, Jun., ALS. and M. Met. Soc. In this paper 

 the author first describes from various authorities, the Fire-balls 

 which were observed, respectively, on Jan. 26, 1823, at Gosport ; 

 on the 23d of May, at Kiel in Denmark ; and on the 20th of 

 August, at Ragusa. The latter, being contemporaneous with an 

 earthquake at the same place, gives occasion for an inquiry how 

 far the appearance of Igneous Meteors may be considered as an 

 attendant phenomenon of earthquakes : several meteors of this 

 kind, it is observed, were seen in the province of Cutch, at the 

 time of the extensive earthquake in India in 1819, the most 

 violent motion of which was experienced in that province and 

 its vicinity ; and two Fire-balls appeared, one at Zante, aud 

 the other at Cephalonia, on the day after the earthquake that 

 desolated the former island in 1820 : other instances of this 

 connexion are likewise adduced. Mr. Brayley then pro- 

 ceeds to an examination of the phenomena attending the fail of 

 several Meteorites, at Nobleborough, in the State of Maine, in 

 North America, on the 7th of August last. He next points out 

 a remarkable affinity, in mineralogical characters, subsisting 

 between these meteorites, and those which fell, respectively, at 

 Loutolox in Finland, in 1822, at Jonzac, in France, in 1819, 

 and at Juvenas, in the same country, in 1821 ; several speci- 

 mens of the latter being laid before the Society, for the purpose 

 of illustration. This affinity partly consists in the strong re- 

 semblance which they all bear to certain products of volcanos ; 

 whilst the meteorites of several other descents connect them, 

 by a gradual transition, with those whose characters are more 

 peculiar. From these and other circumstances, in conjunction 

 with that of the frequent presence of Olivine in meteorites, the 

 author infers, that the agencies which give rise to volcanic 

 phenomena, whatever these may be, and however exerted in 

 this case, are probably concerned in the production of Igneous 

 Meteors and the bodies which descend from them. He con- 

 cludes by recommending the investigation of this curious sub- 

 ject to the members of the Society ; promising to Jay before 

 them, after the recess, the results of some further researches 

 upon it. 



The Society then adjourned, over the Summer recess, to meet 

 again on Wednesday the 13th of October next. 



