REVIEWS — METEORITES. 411 



Meteorites. By Elijah P. Harris, Ph. D. Grottiugea : W. P. 

 Ksestner, 1859. 



This is an exceedingly useful little pamphlet, containing some 

 original investigations by Dr. Harris, and also a very carefully com- 

 piled chronological list of all known meteorites. In Kamtz Meteorolo- 

 logie, and Humboldt's Cosmos, we have catalogues of the same kind ; 

 but every year has made large additions to their lists, and Dr. Harris 

 has undertaken the praiseworthy task of bringing our information up 

 to the present date. 



In the introduction, our author gives a brief account of the various 

 theories which have been proposed, to account for those extraordinary 

 visitors to our planet, and as might be expected, gives in his adherence 

 to the idea of Chladni, viz : that they are of cosmical origin, or in the 

 words of Lichtenberg, " Weltspahne : World shavings." 



The author has omitted to mention the theory of Dr. Smith, which, 

 as a compromise between the cosmical and the lunar hypothesis, is of 

 some interest. According to this theory, the meteorites have been 

 ejected from volcanoes in the moon ; not directly on to the earth, but 

 with such force, as to remove them from the influence of the moon's 

 attraction and to cause them to acquire a course of their own, under 

 the influence of the neighbouring planets. The hypothesis has been 

 critically examined by Mr. Gregg. 



It is only recently, that Wohler announced the presence of an or- 

 ganic or carbonaceous matter in the meteorite of Kaba and Dr. Harris 

 has also proved the presence of a similar substance in the stone from 

 the Cape of Good Hope : two very curious discoveries, which throw 

 some light on the previous history of these remarkable bodies. 



Dr. Harris has furnished very carefully conducted analyses of these 

 meteorites, first, the stone which was observed to fall near Krahova in 

 Hungary, on the 19th May, 1858, that of Bokkewald, Cape of Good 

 Hope, 13th October, 1838, and the meteorite of Mont Rejean in 

 France, which fell on 9th December, 1858. 



The following table represents the results of the analyses : 



I. 11. III. 



Magnetic 8.56 .... 8,41 



TJnmagnetic 91.44 .... 91.59 



