Sept. 5, 1878] 



NATURE 



511 



pieces of a large stone ; b, average of two analyses by Norden- 

 skjold of whole stones, weighing 1,063 and o'64 grm. 



VIII. Orvinio, 1872, August 31, analysed by L. Sipoez. a, 

 chrondritic ground-mass ; b, black connecting mass. 



IX. Stalldalen, 1876, June 28, grey ground mass, analysed by 

 G. Lindstrom. 



Com/>06ition 0/ Meteorites, excluding the Oxygen, Sulfhut; Phos- 

 phorus, and Chlorine found in them. 



Every one who has had experience of the analytical exami- 

 nation of meteorites, which is often very difficult, or at least 

 tedious, writes Prof. Nordenskjold, and who knows the diffi- 

 culty of obtaining any proper average sample on account of the 

 preciousness of the material, will perhaps see that here the 

 question is no longer concerning an accidental similarity in the 

 figures obtained, but an actual identity, showing that all those 

 meteorites which have fallen in the course of more than fifty 

 years form a natural group having a common origin. I have 

 not yet been able to treat in the same way all the accessible 

 analyses which, when those that are quite trustworthy are only 

 in question, are less numerous than is commonly supposed. I 

 consider it certain that it will be possible to arrange several other 

 similar natural groups, and that very many other meteorites than 

 those here enumerated belong to this group, which perhaps may 

 be called Hessleites after the most abundant, most completely 

 examined and analysed meteor fall. 



It appears to me highly probable that all Hessleites belonged 

 either in a completely metallic or in a fully oxidised condition 

 to the same swarm of meteors revolving in our solar system, and 

 that the differences in composition now exhibited by the meteor- 

 ites belonging to the same group depend on changes to which the 

 meteorites were afterwards subjected by being heated under the 

 influence of oxidising or reducing substances. 



With respect to the group now in question it is clear, from 

 the microscopic structure of these meteorites, that the metallic 

 iron forms their most recent constituent, and that it has thus 

 arisen through reduction of the ferriferous silicates. 



Where has this reduction proceeded ? Probably not in the 

 atmosphere of our globe, though the carboniferous substances 

 which occur in a great number of fire-balls may very well form 

 the necessary reduction material; possibly on the exploded 

 heavenly body, of which these meteorites, according to a suffi- 

 ciently hazardous and probably incorrect hypothesis, may form 

 fragments ; most probably, perhaps, in passing the perihelion, 

 diu-ing the revolution of the meteor swarm round the sun. 



That, besides, both reducing and oxidising influences, if on x 

 smaller scale, make themselves felt during the short path of the 

 meteors in our atmosphere, is shown on the one hand by the 

 shining iron particles which are often found on the surface of 

 the meteorites, and on the other hand by a comparison of the 

 analyses of the large and small meteorites from Hessle ; for 

 while the large contain a considerable quantity of sulphur (i'88 

 per cent,), the small are nearly free of it (containing only o'lS 

 per cent. ), clearly for the reason that the sulphur in them has 

 been oxidifed and driven off". 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE 



From the Twenty-fifth Report of the Science and Art 

 Department, we learn that the number of schools examined in 

 1877 ^'^s 1,348, the number of pupils under instruction being 

 5St927. These numbers are smaller than in 1876. This de- 

 crease was entirely due to the withdrawal of physical geography 

 from the list of subjects for which aid is given ; for in the re- 

 ' And potash. 



maining subjects a substantial increase had taken place. The 

 subject added to the list when physical geography was with- 

 drawn, viz., physiography, has already secured a large amount 

 of attention ; and it is probable that no less than 5,CX)0 candi- 

 dates will present themselves for examination in it in May next. 

 The above-mentioned 1,348 schools comprised 4,635 different 

 classes, from which 32,112 students came up for examination in 

 May, in addition to 3,230 self-taught students and pupils in 

 classes not taught by certificated teachers. From the results of 

 the examination it is seen that the number of papers passed 

 compares favourably with the statistics of previous years. The 

 number of candidates who came up in honours was 1,029, of 

 whom 85 passed in the first class and 192 in the second class. 

 From the reports on the general character of the examinations 

 \\ hich have been received from the examiners, it appears that 

 the results of the examinations are generally of an encouraging 

 nature. Some of these reports contain very valuable suggestions 

 as to methods of teaching, &c., and they have been printed and 

 circulated among the schools. The number of competitors for 

 Whitworth Scholarships in 1877 was sixty-eight. Of these 

 nineteen of the most successful in the theoretical subjects of 

 competition were admitted to go forward to the examination in 

 practical workmanship, which was as in previous years, held at 

 the workshops of Sir J. Whitworth and Co., in Manchester. 

 The Committee of Council state that they have received from 

 the Council of the Royal Society a report of the work done by 

 the gentlemen to whom grants had been made during the year 

 1877-78 out of the vote of 4,000/, for research. This vote was 

 first made in the year 1876-77, the correspondence with refer- 

 ence to it being given in our last, the Twenty-fourth Report, at 

 p. 7 of the Appendix. But owing to the period of the year at 

 which the vote was finally sanctioned, the recommendation of 

 the Council of the Royal Society was not received till March 

 16, 1877, and only 2, 195/. \s. 6d. came into payment out of 

 that vote, the remainder being returned to the Exchequer. 

 Considering the nature of these inquiries and the time neces- 

 sarily devoted to preliminary experiments, it was not to be sup- 

 posed that there would be much definite result to show in the 

 first year. But on the whole very satisfactory progress has been 

 made, and much good work already accomplished, several 

 valuable papers having been contributed to the Royal Society. 



We would draw the attention of teachers in London and its 

 neighbourhood to the admirably organised teachers' classes at 

 St, Thomas Charterhouse School of Science, The session com- 

 mences on the 28th inst,, and those wishing for information 

 should apply to the organising secretary, Mr. C. Smith, at St. 

 ThDuias Charterhouse Schools, Goswell Road, 



At a recent meeting of the council of the Yorkshire College, 

 the following appointments were made : — As Lecturer in German 

 and Oriental Languages, Joseph Strauss, Ph.D. ; as Lecturer in 

 French, John Willis, Ph.D. Both the new lectiurers will com- 

 mence their duties with the coming session, in October. 



We have received a very elaborate programme of the mathe- 

 matical courses for the session 1878-9, under Prof, Sylvester, at 

 Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore. Other circulars give a 

 similar announcement in respect to the courses to be followed in 

 languages, chemistry, physics, and biology. 



The University of Helsinjfors will celebrate the fiftieth year 

 of its existence during this autumn. The Finlandic University 

 was originally at Abo, and was transferred to Helsingfors in 

 1828. 



The University of Zurich has just bestowed the title of 

 Doctor of Jurisprudence on a young Russian lady, who obtained 

 the highest honours in her examination for this degree. 



An institution for the higher education of ladies will shortly 

 be opened at Kieff". 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 

 London 

 Entomological Society, August 7. — H. W. Bates, F.L.S., 

 F.Z.S., president, in the chair. — A communication was read 

 from Mr. M'Lachlan to the effect that, in the writer's opinion, 

 the larva referred to by Prof. Westwood at the last meeting of 

 the society, as boring in the stems of the potato, was in all pro- 

 bability that of a Noctua-Gortyna flavago, polyphagous in the 

 stems of a variety of herbaceous plants. — Mr. S. Stevens ex- 

 hibited some living specimens of Teretrius picifes, parasitic on 



