418 REPORT—1868. 
On Spherules in Meteorites (Note by Mr. H. C. Sorby).—“ The small glo- 
bules of iron thrown off in the Bessemer process have a structure more like 
that of the globules in meteorites than any that I have ever seen. I do not 
know any concretion in terrestrial rocks like them. The Bessemer globules 
are thus S: whilst the concretions in rocks are thus OP: and, 
as you see, the former is just the character of those in meteorites.”—( Letter 
to Mr. Greg ; Sheffield, June 23rd, 1866.) 
“ Meteors, Aérolites, and Falling-stars.” By Dr. T. L. Pareson *.—A 
recapitulation of known facts and theories, rather than a work of original re- 
search, this little volume yet contains a mass of interesting information, and 
of observations, not hitherto brought together into one book. The following 
passage, briefly abstracted from pp. 172-178 of the work, conveys the ingenious 
opinion of the author on the early history of aérolites, fireballs, and shooting- 
stars, ascribing to them a community of origin with the earth, as supported 
by the then existing results of astronomical, and chemical researches on aéro- 
lites and falling-stars, made known in the previous pages of the work. 
«The chemical portion of this interesting problem has been completely 
solved; aérolites are shown to be of the nature of the earth. Andif we combine 
for a moment the planetary theory [of aérolites] and the fact that the large 
aérolites fall generally during the day, whilst the large bolides (either silent 
or detonating) appear usually soon after sunset, and shooting-stars (espe- 
cially the November and August swarms) always in the nightt, we are 
forcibly drawn to the conclusion that our earth circulates round the sun in 
or near a continuous cloud of its own dust (matter thrown from it during 
the earlier periods of its existence), and that this dust is distributed in such 
a manner that its larger fragments circulate inside the earth’s orbit (v. A. 8. 
Herschel, ‘ Intellectual Observer,’ April 1865) and gradually decrease in size 
as they extend beyond this orbit ; hence the phenomena of aérolites, bolides, 
and shooting-stars...... If in future years extended observations enforce 
upon us the truth of the assumption that meteoroids are really the dust of the 
earth, fragments of the earth’s mass thrown from it in early years (when 
volcanic action was intense, probably long after the moon was separated from 
it), which myriads of fragments have continued ever since to circulate along 
or near to the earth’s path, then I shall be satisfied to have originated this 
theory.” 
a this was written, the remarkable and probably more correct theory 
of the cometary and ewvtra-planetary origin of meteors, advanced by M. 
Schiaparelli, has been favourably received by astronomers and meteorologists. 
‘ Meteoric Astronomy; a Treatise on Shooting-stars, Fireballs, and Aéro- 
lites.’ By Daniel Kirkwood, LL.D., Professor of Mathematics in Washington 
and Jefferson College, U. 8.t 
This treatise is a somewhat more condensed and scientific work than the 
last. In the first two chapters the history and character of the ring of the 
November meteors are described at length, and the recent theory of M. 
Schiaparelli on the August and other meteoric rings is specially noticed. The 
* Lovell Reeve and Co., London, 1867. 
+ The greatest rate of frequency of shooting-stars, occurring in the morning hours of 
the night, or, on the average of the whole year, between 3 o'clock and 6 o’clock A.m., is here 
referred to. 
} Tribner and Co., London, 1867. 
