METEORITES OF NORTH AMERICA. 167 



lc 2c 3c 4c 



Nickel-iron 98.93 98.71 97.96 97.89 



Schreibersite 0.91 1.29 1.88 2.11 



Troilite 0.14 ...... 0.16 



Residue... 0.02 



100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 



The content of Ni and Co ig the lowest which has hitherto been found in a meteoric iron, if only the newer, trust- 

 worthy analyses are taken into account. 



On the one hand the chemical composition of the masses is identical; on the other hand, despite many differences 

 of structure, many correspondences are also present. Mass I, considered by itself alone, may be regarded as hexa- 

 hedral iron; Mass VI, as the same, though possessing in places a granular structure; while in Mass III only traces of 

 Neumann lines are visible. On the other hand the occurrence of the giant rhabdite in Nos. I and III is entirely alike, 

 likewise the characteristics of the veins. In addition, there is the nearness of the places of find, as well as the similarity 

 of the accessory materials in respect to their unusual structure and arrangement. The connection of the masses as one 

 fall is, therefore, not to be doubted. 



It must be assumed that the various masses of the De Sotoville iron were originally normal hexahedrites and, in 

 varying degree or extent, were subjected to agencies which wrought a change of structure. Probably different degrees 

 of heating may account for the differences, which in the case of some of the masses, may have been carried to the extent 

 of softening or of complete melting of the entire mass. The end piece of Mass VI would represent a slight degree of 

 alteration, in which case only the twin structure has really disappeared, and a granular texture in a few places of very 

 limited extent has attained full development. In the case of Mass III, however, almost the entire mass has taken 

 on a granular structure and the twin lamellae only in places remain so far intact as to show definite indications of Neu- 

 mann lines. It can not be determined with certainty whether the masses in question were heated by their finders, 

 as so often happens in the case of meteoric iron, or whether a secondary softening took place before or during their fall . 



In addition to the heating there must also have been some mechanical process to produce the faulting and bending 

 of the Neumann lines as well as the displacement and formation of veins. 



The mechanical changes could in no case have been brought about by artificial means, since such means would 

 be far too coarse to produce so delicate displacements on such an enormous scale. 



Since, however, in the neighborhood of the displacements and veins, occur structural changes similar to those of 

 the apparently thermally altered portions, the conclusion may be drawn that the thermal process is also not of artificial, 

 terrestrial origin, but of the same cosmic nature as the mechanical changes; and that through heating and pressure 

 there was a gradual change of a hexahedral iron into an ataxite. 



The meteorites are distributed. 



BIBLIOGRAPHY. 



1. 1899: FOOTE. Note on a new meteoric iron found near the Tombigbee River in Choctaw and Sumter Counties, 



Alabama, U. S. A. Amer. Journ. Sci., 4th ser., vol. 8, pp. 153-156. (With cuts showing external appearance 

 of Mass No. 1, and sections of Nos. 3 and 5; and a diagram showing localities of finds.) 



2. 1903: BERWERTH. Wiener Sammlung, pp. 15 and 81. 



3. 1903: FARRrNGTON. Catalogue of the Meteorite Collection, Field Columbian Museum, p. 118. 



4. 1903: KLEIN*. Berlin Sammlung. Ber. Berlin Akad., 1903, p. 168. 



5. 1904: BREZINA and COHEN. Ueber Meteoreisen von De Sotoville. Wien Akad., pp. 113 I, 89-103. 



6. 1905: COHEN. Meteoritenkunde, Heft 3, pp. 208-215. 



Dickson County. See Charlotte. 

 Dolores Hidalgo. See Cosina. 



DRAKE CREEK. 



Sumner County, Tennessee. 



Here also Sumner County, Somner County, Nashville, and Tennessee, 1830. 



Latitude 36 21' N., longitude 86 32' W." 



Stone. Veined white chondrite (Cwa) of Brezina; Luceite (type 37, subtype 2) of Meunier. 



Fell 4 p. m., May 9, 1827; mentioned 1830. 



Weight. Five stones; the largest weighed 11 pounds, another 5J pounds. 



The first mention of this meteorite was by Silliman, 1 who stated that the meteorite had been 

 ordered sent to him by Professor Bowen, but on its way it had been left with Mr. Seybert for 

 analysis. The methods of Seybert's analysis are given in considerable detail, but the results of an 

 analysis of the undecomposable part, specific gravity 3.485, are as follows: 



SiO 2 FeO MnO MgO CaO AL, <5 3 NiO(Co) S FejO 3 Cr*O, 



40.000 12.000 23.833 2.466 ' 2.166 2.443 12.200 0.833 =95.941 



