OBSERVATIONS OF LUMINOUS METEORS. 93 



p. 300), and again more prominently regarded by M. Meunicr, in a series of 

 able articles, as explaining the condition of their primitive existence in and 

 original separation from a parent planet*. 



Parvatypore, Vizagapatam, Madi-as, India, 1869 (?), December 23rd. 



The following account of the fall of a meteoric iron in India is copied from 

 the ' Homeward Mail ' of 1870, March 14th. — " A phenomenon of the 

 meteoric kind is reported by the ' Madras Athenaeum ' as follows : — ' An 

 aerolite weighing about ten pounds fell in the neighbourhood of Parvatypore 

 in the Vizagapatam district, on Sunday, December 23 [so in the ' Homeward 

 Mail;' ? if Sunday, Dec. 26th, 1869]. We have been favoured with some 

 particulars regarding this occurrence. The substance of which this aerolite 

 consists is apparently iron in a very pure state, without any mixture of 

 other mineral substances or impurities. The mass is shaped and marked, 

 and even on one side (that evidently which came in contact with the earth) 

 polished in a manner naturally to be expected under the circumstances, 

 namely a mass of iron in the malleable condition which that metal takes 

 when in a state of fusion coming into contact with earth softened by moisture, 

 and with a force sufficient to penetrate to a depth of 2 feet. We are told 

 that the noise caused by the aerolite in passing through the air in its faU was 

 very startling, and to the people in the immediate neighbourhood alarming. 

 Its luminous splendour is described as equal to that of the moon, and it is 

 said to have culminated with an explosion of great brilliancy. It was seen 

 and heard for many miles, as it fell in a direction from north to south.' " 



Mourzouk, Fczzan, 1869, December 25th, evening. 



A large globe of fire fell to the earth with an explosive sound, in sight of 

 a group of Arabs, near the capital of Fezzan, and imbedded itself in the 

 ground. The meteorite, which weighs 6000 lbs., is destined to be preserved 

 in the public Museum of Constantinople. M. von Haidinger, of Vienna, and 

 Mr. R. H. Scott, in London, have presented to the geological societies of their 

 respective countries a description of the circumstances which attended its fall. 



Periodicity of Detonating and Non-detonating Fireballs, arul of Aerolites. — 

 From a collection of the most recent Catalogues of large meteors and aerolites, 

 Mr. Greg has revised the Tables appended to his first Catalogue of such ap- 

 pearances printed in the volume of these Reports for 1860. The following 

 more complete and carefully reconstructed Tables exhibit at a glance the 

 particular days of the year on which large meteors have thus appeared in 

 greatest numbers, the months or seasons of the year in which aerolites are 

 most common, and in which they have been especially observed in each year 

 for the last period of more than half a century. The question of the 

 periodicity or non-periodicity of those rare occurrences cannot fail to arrive 

 at an ultimate solution by systematic arrangement and classification, of 

 which the Tables now reproduced, and brought up to the latest dates of his 

 extended Catalogue by Mr. Greg, are a valuable and well-timed contribution. 



* ' Cosmos ' for 1869, November 20th, 27th, and December 4th; and 1870, January Ist, 

 "On the Siderite of Deesa [or of Copiapo (M. von Haidinger, ibid.)], the existence of 

 eruptive meteoric rocks, and ifie relative affcs of meteorites," by Stanislas Mcvmier. — On 

 Mr. Meunier's views regarding the relative ages of a supposed iron-period and stone- 

 period in tlie history of meteoric falls, see a lucid article by Professor N. S. Maskelyne, 

 in 'Nature' for 1870, June 2nd. 



