METEORITES OF NORTH AMERICA. 455 



This observation at first led me to suppose that the Jalisco stone offered the first instance of well-defined crystals of 

 nickeliferous iron. But on recurring to the stones of several other localities, I find their presence is by no means rare, 

 although they have not hitherto attracted attention. The following of those showing occasional crystals may be 

 instanced: Rochester, Sumner County, Little Piney, Richmond, Yorkshire, Montrejean, Daniels Kuill, New Concord, 

 Vouille', Erxleben, and Affianello. 



The crystals are uniformly distributed, penetrating even to the center of the chrysolite globules, and are often so 

 minute as to be invisible without the aid of a glass. To effect their entire separation by the magnet is wholly impossible. 

 Neither can their estimation be accomplished by the aid of acids, since the chrysolite is more or less decomposed by 

 the same action that dissolves the crystals. The nearest approximation to their percentage, as determined mechani- 

 cally, gave it about 7 per cent, though t.hia is probably too high, through the adhesion of Jthe pulverized chrysolite in 

 the process of separation. . 



Particles of crystalline troilite of considerable size adhere occasionally to the nickeliferous iron, though on an 

 average they can not exceed 0.5 per cent of the stone. The treatment of the metallic portion of the stone in aqua regia 

 left undissolved a few very minute black shining scales of a plumbaginous nature together with equally minute non- 

 magnetic, dull, octahedral crystals of chromite, which gave with borax the characteristic chromium reaction. 



Equally difficult, as in the case of the nickeliferous iron, is the dete mination of the proportions of the chrysolite and 

 the supposed chladnite. The nearest estimate I can make would be eight of the former to one of the latter, thus pre- 

 senting the following approximative table for the mineralogical constitution of the meteorite: 



Chrysolite 80 



Chladnite? 10 



Nickeliferous iron 7 



Troilite 1 



Chromite ,..[ 3 



Peroxide of ironj 



loo 



The specific gravity as determined upon two fragments, each having about one-third of its surface covered by 

 crust, was 3.47 to 3.48. 



In conclusion it may be observed that the shape of the specimen indicated it to have belonged to a stone several 

 inches in diameter. Additional particulars relating to the fall will probably be furnished hereafter, through inquiries 

 promised by Mr. Landero. 



Addendum. 



The delay which has occurred in the publication of the foregoing enables me to append thereto the very interesting 

 extract from a letter of Mr. De Landero, dated Guadalajara. May 30, 1885: 



" Respecting the exact date of the fall, I shall sooner or later be able to fix it with precision. The aerolite passed 

 over the town of Fomatlan (40 miles south-southeast of Cape Conientes, a village of 800 inhabitants, belonging to the 

 canton of Maseota in our State of Jalisco, at a height of some three to five thousand feet, between 4 and 5 p. m. 

 It was a very clear day. Many persons saw the aerolite and heard the explosion it made, which was very powerful. 

 Its direction was from southeast to northwest. It left a white cloud in its track. Two or three fragments fell 8 miles 

 northwest of Fomatlan between the houses of the Gargantillo farm. The latitude of Fomatlan is 19 44' north, and its 

 longitude 6 2<Y west of the City of Mexico. Its elevation above the sea is about 100 feet. 



"The administrator of the Gargantillo farm, Cesareo Rodriguez, gathered two or three fragments of the meteorite 

 a few minutes after their fall, when they were still at a burning heat. The largest of these weighed about 2 pounds. 

 The main body of the meteorite, which must have been very large, continued on its path to the northwest and fell into 

 a large lagoon 4 or 5 miles distant from the farm. 



'My uncle, Mr. Joaquin Castanos, who was at that time in Fomatlan, received one of the fragments from the hands 

 of Cesareo Rodriguez, and kept it for me. I made a determination of the specific gravity of the meteorite upon a frag- 

 ment weighing 28.5 grams, the result of which was 3.49." 



A late letter gives September 17, 1879, as the time of fall. 



The meteorite was at first known after Shepard's description by the name of Gargantillo, 

 but as this was the name of the ranch alone the name was later changed to that of the town near 

 by, of Tomatlan, erroneously spelled Fomatlan by Shepard. Castillo 2 gives it the name Gar- 

 gantillo and the date of fall as September 17, 1879. Fletcher 3 first uses the name Tomatlan, 

 since adopted as correct. 



Brezina, 4 under the name Gargantillo, classes the meteorite as a spherical chondrite, Cc, 

 and describes the Vienna specimen as follows : 



Gargantillo has a very porous, friable groundmass, thick crust, large chondri, many brown flecks like Sarbanovac, 

 the iron abundant with traces of crystal faces. 



Wulfing 5 notes discrepancies in the date of fall given by different authors, some giving it as 

 August. From the above records, however, there seems no reason to doubt the correctness of 

 the date September 17. 



