126 . Reports and Proceedings. 



five pieces on striking the ground, only two of wliicli were saved, 

 and one side was not coated, viz., tliat wliicli fitted the uncoated side 

 of the Piprassi specimen. The remainder of the fractured surfaces 

 are perfectly crusted, but not uniformly, as it is thicker on the origi- 

 nal surface than on the fractures. This fall is most instructive. It 

 is one of the few recorded cases of disrupted fragments of an aerolite, 

 travelling a considerable distance through the earth's atmosphere, 

 without fusion taking place on the disrupted sides. 



At the end of the book a list of public and private collections is 

 given. The collection of E. P. Greg, Esq., of Manchester, has been 

 disposed of, and is now deposited in the Museum at Calcutta. The 

 weight of the larger of the two masses of meteoric iron found at 

 Cranbourne, near Melbourne, Australia, which is exliibited in the 

 British Museum, is about 8,200 pounds, or over 3 tons 13 cwt. The 

 smaller mass was exhibited in the International Exhibition for 1862, 

 before being deposited in the National Collection, but was soon after- 

 wards sent back to Australia in exchange for the larger one. 



In Chladni's useful catalogue of recorded falls of aerolites, pub- 

 lished in vol. xxxi. of the " Annales de Chimie et de Physique," 1826, 

 we find the following : — " 1680, 18 Mai Pierres a Londres, King." 

 Dr. Phipson has quoted this, and, in a foot-note, remarks that he has 

 not been able to procure a copy of Mr. Edward King's work, which 

 is entited — "Eemarks upon Stones said to have fallen from the 

 Clouds." This book is in the library of the British Museum, and 

 the stones referred to by Chladni, as having fallen in London, were 

 hailstones ! We give Mr. King's own words : " On the 18th of 

 May, in the year 1680, some hailstones are recorded to have fallen 

 in London, near Gresham College; which were seen and examined 

 by the celebrated Dr. Eoole ; and were some of them not less than 

 two inches over, and others three inches." It is a pity Dr. Phipson 

 did not expend more care in the production of this little book ; but 

 we must accept it as, at present, the only work giving a general 

 resume of the origin, progress, and present state of aerolitic know- 

 ledge. A really good book upon this subject would indeed be 

 welcome, at a time when the interest excited by the wonderful 

 " Star-shower" of November last has not yet ceased. 



s,:e:poi2-ts j^isud leiaocESHDiisrca-s. 



Geological Society of London.— I. January 23, 1867. — 

 Warington W. Smyth, Esq., M.A., E.K.S., President, in the chair. 

 The following communications were read : — «= _ 



1. " Oxi. the occurrence of Consolidated Blocks in the Drift of 

 Suffolk." By George Maw, Esq., F.L.S., F.G.S. 

 . As a contribution to the evidence on the geological position of the 

 blocks of saccharoid sandstone scattered on the surface of many 

 parts of the Chalk-districts, which appear to have been derived from 

 several formations of different ages, the occurrence was^ recorded of 

 large isolated masses of consolidated sand and gravel in the Drift 



