74 THE AMERICAN MONTH 1-V [MmivIi, 



rjiilwavs, or cvoii iVoin fMctorv-cliiinncvs, hut it \\ ns I'ouiul that 

 in tlic strcct-tlust mnfjnctic as well as other particles which had 

 been formcti h\ hoiscslioc clcniulatioti wcic almost always 

 jajjgctl in outliiu" aiul showed none of the characteristics of the 

 spheroidal bodies in terrace-tlust. All know the jj;reat distances 

 to which volcanic ejectainenta were carrietl altei the j^reat erup- 

 tion ol" Krakatoa. 



Mr. ]. \\ (lod-Mason said he had found similar bodies and 

 thonjjht that thev miy[ht be the resiilne from the disinte<;ration of 

 the buildini; materials used in construction of the roof and 

 parapets. 



Mr. Holland remarked that the roundeil, smooth surfaces of 

 the opacpie as well as the translucent b«)dies were decitledly sug- 

 jjestive of previous fusion, and havin<j discussed the possibility 

 of their bein<; carried from the roads durinjj the dust-storms of 

 May, he thou»jht the eviilence, taken as a whole, limited the con- 

 clusions either to the author's view of their cosmic orij^in or, 

 accorilin>; to the president's su<^<j;estion. to the I'uhlic Works De- 

 partment. He had examined the material in the chemical labora- 

 torv. but the evidence so obtained did not exclusively favor either 

 view. After removal of the orjjanic material, the residue con- 

 sisted of quartz-granules with a few splinters of augitc and biotitc 

 insoluble in hydrochloric acid, and a soluble portion, composed 

 principally of iron oxide with lime, soda, and potash. One spec- 

 imen contained small, though distinct, particles of metallic iron, 

 but not a trace of nickel coidd be found. Qiiartz has not with 

 certainty been found in meteorites, although silica in the form of 

 asmanite was found by Professor Maskelyne in 1S67. The quartz 

 in Mr. Simmons' specimens was in angular fragments and would 

 not. of course, be removed with the ferruginous particles by the 

 magnet. The presence of this mineral, tlunigh not necessarilv 

 connected with the magnetic sphcrides. and absence of nickel in 

 the spherules themselves, though worthy of consideration, must 

 only bear the weight of negative evidence. l?ut there remained 

 the magnetite, the glassy globes, and the metallic iron, hinting 

 quite as strongly in favor of their meteoric origin. In review- 

 ing some of the popular notions concerning meteorites, he pointed 

 out that recent researches, especially those of Lockyer, have 

 taught us to regard these bodies as neither so strange nor so un- 

 common as was formerly imagined ; and, notwithstanding the 

 inconclusive state of the evidence in the present instance, he 

 would favor the meteoric origin of these particles. 



Mr. P. N. Bose said the streets were paved with basaltic 

 rocks from which the magnetite, as well as the augite mentioned 

 by Mr. Holland, could have been derived. Rounded particles 

 could be more easily carried by the wind. 



