October i, 1963] 



NATURE 



533 



50 tons (the specific gravity having been determined to be 

 7.69), and it is probably at least as large as the big mass 

 brought some years ago from (Greenland td the United 

 States by Lieutenant Peary. After these two, the next largest 

 known meteorite in the world is that of Chupaderos, which 

 has lately been removed to the city of Mexico and found to 

 weigh i5§ tons. A polished face of the Bacubirito iron, 

 when etched, shows very distinct Widmanstatten figures. 

 According to a chemical analysis made by Prof. Whitfield the 

 percentage of nickel (and cobalt) is 72. The time of fall of 

 the mass is unknown. The meteorite is described by Prof. 

 Ward in the Proceeding's of the Rochester Academy of 

 Science (vol. iv. p. 67, 1002). 



P 



by the motion through ihe air (Fig. 3) ; part of the fused 

 oxide has accumulated at the thin end of the meteorite, and 

 paft'of it has doubtless been blown off at that part (Fig. 2). 

 A polished section, when etched, shows well-marked Wid- 

 manstatten figures ; only one or two specks of troilite are 

 visible on the etched face. Chemical analysis of the metallic 

 sawdust obtained on cutting the meteorite shows that the 

 nickel and cobalt amount to 85 per cent. In addition to 

 the chemical elements normally present in meteorites, Prof. 

 Liversidge found small quantities of arsenic, gold, and 

 either platinum or some other member of the platinum 

 group. 



The places of fall of the meteoric stones were (i) Barratta, 

 near Deniliquin ; (2) Gilgoin, near Brewarrina ; (3) Eli 

 Elwah, near Hay ; the falls were not actually observed. 

 The stones are all remarkable for their size. In the case 

 of Barratta, about 2 cwt. had been found on a previous 



Fig. 3.— The Boogaldi meteorite, N.S.W. Showing waves formed in the 

 fluid skin at the forward end ; the right hand side was the lower one 

 during flight. Enlarged two diameters. 



Fig. 2. — The Boogaldi meteorite, N.S.W, Showing "drip" from the 

 underside, tail end. Length 5 inches, width 3 inches; weight 2057 "5 

 grms. Sp. gr. 7-85. 



In the Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society 

 of New South Wales, vol. xxxvi. pp. 341-359, Prof. Archi- 

 bald Liversidge, F.R.S., of Sydney, gives descriptions of 

 four meteorites, all from New South Wales, one of them a 

 meteoric iron, the other three meteoric stones. The 

 meteoric iron, though not actually observed to fall, was 

 found shortly after that event ; it was noticed in January, 

 1900, that the ground had been torn up on a hard ridge 

 near Boogaldi Post Office ; the furrow was followed, and 

 a small pear-shaped mass of iron was found slightly em- 

 bedded in the ground ; it had come from the north-west, 

 and its path must have been inclined at only a small angle 

 to the horizon. It weighed 4^ lb., and has a specific gravity 

 of 7-8. The surface is formed by a skin of fused oxide, 

 which has been arranged in waves with transverse furrows 



NO. 1770, VOL. 68] 



occasion many years ago ; two other stones have lately been 

 found weighing 31^ lb. and 48 lb. respectively. The Gilgoin 

 stones weigh 67^ lb. and 74^ lb., and the Eli Elwah stone 

 35i lb. All these stones have a chondritic structure ; the 

 specific gravities range from 339 to 386. The paper is 

 illustrated with no fewer than twelve plates. 



In the Publications of the Field Columbian Museum 

 (Geological Series, vol. i. pp. 283-315) Dr. O. C. Farring- 

 ton gives an account of various meteorites. The first of 

 them is froin Long Island, Phillips County, Kansas, of the 

 structure of which Dr. Weinschenk gave a minute descrip- 

 tion several years ago. The meteorite, which belongs to 

 the chondritic kind, was not observed to fall, and must have 

 been in the ground some time before it was found. Frag- 

 ments having a total weight of 1244 'b- *^^^'^ '^^^" recovered ; 

 it is therefore the largest irjeteoric stone which has yet been 

 met with. The larger fragments can be closely fitted 

 together, and the original form of the mass is thus repro- 

 duced-. Ihe directive (fjiaracter of the pittings and furrows 

 is very suggestive of the exterior of the Goalpara stone. 



