Curiosities of Science. 91 



to be the case with all meteorites, the black colour is only an external 

 covering. 



Sir Humphry Davy, from facts contained in his researches 

 on flame, in 1817, conceives that the light of meteors depends, 

 not upon the ignition of inflammable gases, but upon that of 

 solid bodies ; that such is their velocity of motion, as to excite 

 sufficient heat for their ignition by the compression even of 

 rare air ; and that the phenomena of falling stars may be ex- 

 plained by regarding them as small incombustible bodies mov- 

 ing round the earth in very eccentric orbits, and becoming 

 ignited only when they pass with immense rapidity through 

 the upper regions of the atmosphere ; whilst those meteors 

 which throw down stony bodies are, similarly circumstanced, 

 combustible masses. 



Masses of iron and nickel, having all the appearance of 

 aerolites or meteoric stones, have been discovered in Siberia, 

 at a depth of ten metres below the surface of the earth. From 

 the fact, however, that no meteoric stones are found in the 

 secondary and tertiary formations, it would seem to follow that 

 the phenomena of falling stones did not take place till the earth 

 assumed its present conditions. 



VAST SHOWER OF METEORS. 



The most magnificent Shower of Meteors that has ever been 

 known was that which fell during the night of November 12th, 

 1833, commencing at nine o'clock in the evening, and continu- 

 ing till the morning sun concealed the meteors from view. This 

 shower extended from Canada to the northern boundary of South 

 America, and over a tract of nearly 3000 miles in width. 



IMMENSE METEORITE. 



Mrs. Somerville mentions a Meteorite which passed within 

 twenty-five miles of our planet, and was estimated to weigh 

 600,000 tons, and to move with a velocity of twenty miles in a 

 second. Only a small fragment of this immense mass reached 

 the earth. Four instances are recorded of persons being killed 

 by their fall. A block of stone fell at Mgos Potamos, B.C. 465, 

 as large as two millstones; another at Narni, in 921, projected 

 like a rock four feet above the surface of the river, in which it 

 was seen to fall. The Emperor Jehangire had a sword forged 

 from a mass of meteoric iron, which fell in 1620 at Jahlinder 

 in the Punjab. Sixteen instances of the fall of stones in the 

 British Isles are well authenticated to have occurred since 1620, 

 one of them in London. It is very remarkable that no new 

 chemical element has been detected in any of the numerous 

 meteorites which have been analysed. 



