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XXX.— NOTE ON A BEILLIANT METEOE SEEN AT STEAS- 

 BUBG ON THE 15th OF AUGUST, 1886. By 

 J. EMEESON EEYNOLDS, M. D., F. E. S. 



[Read, December 15, 1886.] 



On the evening of the 15th of August last I happened to be at 

 Strasburg, Alsace, and observed the fall of a meteorite which 

 emitted a brilliant light in its passage through the atmosphere. 

 The colour of the light was peculiar and suggestive ; hence this 

 short note on the phenomena. 



At the time the meteor was observed to fall the sun had set, for 

 it was five minutes before eight by local time ; the sky was cloudless, 

 and the atmosphere beautifully clear. The meteorite seemed to 

 enter the atmosphere from the west, at a point which appeared 

 equidistant from the zenith and horizon, my post of observation 

 being the verandah of the Hotel National, which is on the side of 

 the large Platz opposite the new Railway Station. The meteor 

 seemed to fall directly over the main portion of the station, which 

 was almost exactly due west of my position, and the path of the 

 meteor was slightly inclined to the horizon, tending south. 



The light was very bright, and, as often observed in these 

 meteoric flashes, was greenish ; but the impression it produced on 

 •eyes practised in observing flame colouration was similar to that 

 •caused by a boracic acid flame, rather than by one whose colour was 

 due to copper. 



I am well aware that copper has been found in some meteorites, 

 whereas boron has not been detected in any of those whose analyses 

 I have seen. On the other hand, the presence of a small quantity 

 of boron might be easily overlooked unless very careful search for 

 it were made ; moreover, carbon and silicon in various states of 

 combination have been found in meteorites, and boron is so nearly 

 related to both these elements, that its occurrence in meteorites is 

 certainly not improbable. 



I hope, then, that in any future analyses of meteorites the pos- 

 sible presence of boron may be kept in view, and search made for 

 the element in these strange wanderers from interstellar space. 



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