164 KEPORT— 1876. 



IV. Aekolites. 



Several falls of meteorites (one of them of much importance) have recently 

 occurred, detailed accounts of which, and of recent researches on aerolites 

 and on aeroHtic meteors, have been collected during the past year by Dr. 

 Plight, and form in this Appendix (see Part II.) a continuation of the similar 

 abstracts contained in last year's Ilepo]-t. 



Part I. — A Review of recent Stonefalls and of Papers relating to Meteorites. 



By A. S. Herschei,. 



The following falls of meteorites have been placed on record since the date 

 of the last of those which were there described :^- 



A.D. 1814, — — Gurramconda, near Chittoor, North Arcot, Madras, 



India. 



„ 187.5, Sept. 1 4, 4'' p.m. Supino, circ. Prosinone, Italy. 



„ 1876, Apr. 20, 3" 40"^ p.m. Eowtou, near Wellington, Salop, England 



(Ironfall). 



„ 187G, June 28, ll''-12'' a.m. Stiilldalen, Dalecarlia, Sweden. (See ac- 

 count of this aerolite at the end of this Appendix.) 



The following descriptions have also been given of meteoric appearances, 

 presumably aerolitic, of which no further corroborations have hitherto been 

 received. 



1875, Feb. 10th, Isle d'Oleron, and March 9th, Orleans, France. (See 

 these Eeports, vol. for 1875, p. 206.) In the French weekly scientific 

 journal ' Les Mondes,' vol. xxxvi. p. 458 (March 25th, 1875), these meteors 

 are described as falls of aerolites. It appears probable from this description 

 that they were detonating fireballs ; but of this, and of their possible aerolitic 

 characters, no other evidence has been produced of which the Committee has 

 yet received intelligence. 



The following notice of large meteors seen in America in December and 

 January last, by Mr. C. W. Irish, of Iowa City, U.S., although affirming them 

 to have both been of the detonating class, does not distinctly pronounce them 

 to have been accompanied by falls of aerolites ; but one at least of these fire- 

 balls produced a very loud explosion. " In the last week (the 27th) of 

 December, 1875, at 9'' p.m., and also in the first week of January, 1876,. large 

 meteors traversed the air near the south boundary of this (Iowa) State. One 

 passed near Ilingold Co., south-easterly ; the other passed over St. Joseph, in 

 the State of Missouri, travelling eastwards ; and both came to the earth, I 

 think, very brilliant and noisy. It is stated, in the ' Kansas Chief ' of 

 December 30th, tliat after a lapse of 2 minutes after the disappearance of 

 the meteor of the 27th, a sound like the discharge of a heavy cannon was 

 heard, or rather one loud explosion followed by a lighter one. It jarred houses 

 and rattled windows." 



From the ' Scientific American ' of August 12th, 1876 (p. 98), Mr. Wood 

 communicates the following apparently authentic record of a recent fall of an 

 aerolite in Kentucky, U.S., no meteor, however, being described, and no other 

 details of the occurrence having yet been received : — •" The Louisville ' Courier 

 Journal ' states that on July ISth (1876), at 4'' a.m., Mr.White, watchman of the 

 Whiteford engine-house, whilst on duty, was startled by a loud report, lilce 

 that of a pistol, and instantly following some heavy substance fell into the 



