336 MEMOIKS NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, VOL. XIII. 



would reach us at all, or, if so, in the manner described by observers? This question is a more important one to con- 

 sider, as some observers on similar data have calculated the elevation of meteorites when they were first heard to explode 

 at 100 miles. 



As regards the size of the meteorite, I have but to refer the reader to my experiments made in 1854 and published 

 in 1855 to show the perfect fallacy of calculating the size of luminous objects by their apparent disks, and I shall have 

 more to say on the same subject in a future paper. It is important to note that the nearest approach of the meteor to 

 the earth must have been in the northern part of Noble and in Guernsey Counties, the point from which its most won- 

 derful display seemed to have manifested itself; yet we hear nothing of ita future career by reports from observers north 

 of this, while its approach from the south to this point was noticed by a number of observers. 



I need hardly state that my own convictions are that the meteorite terminated its career in Guernsey County, and 

 that the group of stones which constituted it were scattered broadcast over that county. Many have been collected 

 and many lie buried in the soil to molder and mingle their elements with those of the earth. 



We come now to consider the stones that fell and were collected. Their number was over 30 and their places of 

 falling have been plotted with some care on a map. 



The localities of 24 have been fixed with precision by the assistance of the Hon. C. J. Albright * * *. The 

 largest were at the northwest extremity and the smallest at the southeast. The space over which they were scattered 

 was about 10 miles long by 3 miles broad. The following is a catalogue of 24: 



460} 



Others have been found, but I have no correct record of their exact position. Some fifteen of these stones have 

 come under my observation. They are all irregular in shape, cuboidal, wedge-shaped, globular, and every conceiv- 

 able form that irregular fragments of stone may be supposed to possess. They all have the well-known black coating, 

 with a sharp outline between the coating and gray mass of the stone, and there is quite a uniformity in the character 

 of the coating in both small and large stones. 



When broken this meteor exhibits a gray mass, with metallic particles of nickeliferous iron, resembling the stones 

 I examined that fell in Harrison County, Indiana, on the 28th of March, 1859. The latter, however, is the coarser- 

 grained of the two. 



The general thickness of the crust is about from one-thirtieth to one-fortieth of an inch. 



Several specimens have been examined. They all show the presence of the same minerals, with a slight varia- 

 tion in their proportions, as might be expected in a mass not homogeneous. Its composition is fairly represented as 

 follows: Specific gravity, 3.550, varying slightly in different specimens. In 100 parts there are 



Nickeliferous iron 10. 7 



Earthy minerals 89. 3 



100.0 



