Reviews — Phipsoris Meteorites. 125 



the phenomena of shooting stars. The various terms in use for 

 these bodies, such as meteors, fireballs, falling stars, meteorites, etc., 

 he considers to be identical meteoric phenomena, only seen under 

 different circumstances, and from different positions. 



The attention of meteorologists, mineralogists, and other men of 

 science, was first directed to this subject by Chladni's treatise on the 

 probably celestial origin of the mass of iron discovered in Siberia by 

 Dr. Pallas. This treatise was first published in 1794, and two 

 months after his views received a remarkable confirmation, by the 

 fall of a shower of stones at Siena, in Italy, on the 16th of June, 

 1794. Between the years 1794 and 1802 three other well-observed 

 falls took place, and in this latter year, the first analysis of an 

 aerolite was made by Luke Howard, and published in the Phil. 

 Trans, of the Eoyal Society. Descriptions of the fall of all the most 

 important aerolites are briefly given, together with analyses of 

 many of the stones, which exhibit the similarity in composition 

 of these bodies. The various theories proposed to account for these 

 phenomena are also briefly described. Had the author procured 

 a later edition of the " Catalogue of the Meteorites in the British 

 Museum," than that published in December, 1863, for his compila- 

 tion, he might more correctly have represented its present condition. 

 There have been at least three, if not four, editions of this cata- 

 logue published since December, 1863, the last of which bears the 

 date October 1st, 1866, and shows the collection to contain 350 speci- 

 mens, representing 236 distinct falls. Among several other similar 

 inaccuracies we select the following : — Of the great fall at L'Aigle, 

 Normandy, on the 26th of April, 1803, he states, " A specimen, 

 weighing two pounds two ounces, may be seen in the British Museum. 

 The catalogue says, nine specimens weighing 5 lbs. 2 oz. 260 grs. 

 Again, of that of Chantonnay, La Vendee, France, he says, " There is 

 a sample -VYsighing one pound four ounces, in a collection at the 

 British Museum," whilst the catalogue states that there are three 

 specimens of the collective weight of 2 lbs. 15 oz. 287 grs., or nearly 

 three pounds. Also, at page 191, referring to the remarkable fall at 

 Butsura, India, we read, " Five meteoric stones, which fell on the 

 12th of May, 1861, near Gootka, in India, and weigh together up' 

 wards of thirty pounds, being joined together by their uncoated sur- 

 faces, fit so exactly into one large uniformly crusted mass, that, 

 according to Mr. Herschel, two fragments only are wanting at the 

 angles ; and these five stones were found from two to four miles 

 apart." This description is certainly a very loose one. The weight 

 of the whole, when found, exceeded fifty-one pounds ; the total weight 

 of the parts, now in the British Museum collection, according to the 

 catalogue before quoted, is 41 lbs. 13 oz. 137 grs. The other por- 

 tions of this aerolite are deposited in the Calcutta Museum. Prom a 

 very interesting paper on this fall, by Professor Maskelyne, in the 

 Philosophical Magazine for January, 1863, which Dr. Phipson does 

 not appear to have consulted, and from the specimens and models 

 themselves, it will be seen that but three of the fragments had un- 

 coated sides. That which fell at Bulloah, was broken into four or 



