540 FOOTE— FACTORS IN THE [Aprii^s. 



Price Changes.- — In comparing the medium prices of 190 falls 

 collated alike by Cohen, Ward and Foote, we find that the average 

 medium price decreased 27.4 per cent, from 1899 to 1904, and in- 

 creased 18.6 per cent, between 1904 and 1912. Of all the falls 

 collated in 1912, the following 52 have advanced in price more than 

 one half since 1904: Alais, Auburn, Barranca Blanca, Bath, Beaver 

 Creek, Bethlehem, Bishopville, Bridgewater, Cabezzo de Mayo, 

 Cambria, Cape Girardeau, Casey County, Charlotte, Chassigny, 

 Colfax, Coopertown, Cuerna'vaca, Daniel's Kuil, Danville, Duruma, 

 Emmitsburg, Forsyth, Girgenti, Hex River, Honolulu, Jamestown, 

 Jelica, La Grange, Linnville, Locust Grove, Macao, Maeme, 

 Mazapil, Mejillones, Mooresfort, Murfreesboro, Nanjemoy, No- 

 coleche, Obernkirchen, Ornans, Pacula, Putnam County, Rasgata, 

 Reed City, Rhine Valley, Russel Gulch, Saint Mesmin, Scottsville, 

 Senegal River, Victoria, Warrenton, Wold Cottage. 



The following seventeen have decreased in price more than one 

 half since 1904: Bischtiibe, Black Mountain, Canon Diablo, 

 Castine, Chupaderos, Copiapo, Cranbourne (Melbourne), Grosnaja, 

 Indarch, Ivanpah, Jerome, Juvinas, Mezo-Madaras, Nejed, Saint 

 Denis Westrem, Stavropol, Vaca Muerta. 



Rare Falls Become Less Available. — As a small meteorite is dis- 

 tributed among institutions which often acquire even less than they 

 desire for their own purposes, it becomes increasingly difficult for 

 others to secure it. Thus, of the 121 meteorites collated by Cohen 

 in 1899 at 65 cents per gram or over, 29 per cent, are not in the 

 1912 market, whereas of the 120 collated at less than 65 cents, only 

 6 per cent, have disappeared from current catalogues. 



The Cause of High Prices. — On this point an examination of 

 Cohen's collation affords some interesting evidence. He collated 

 109 meteorites in 1899 which had been recorded by Wiilfing in 1897, 

 and of which the major part of each was held by one owner. 

 Classifying them we find that: 



1. Seven falls were quoted by four dealers controlling one to 

 two falls each, at figures averaging 68 per cent, lower than Wiilfing's 

 values. 



2. Sixty-one falls controlled by institutions or private indi- 



