30-83 '.'. 



11-42 



0-11 



0-43 







0-38 



trace 



5-70 



34-61 



23-97 





1-24 



214 Dr. Walter Flight— On Meteorites. 



square centimetres which was evidently made prior to the fall, a few 

 small specks of the melted matter adhering to the surface. The 

 texture of the meteorite is of the harder brecciated variety, and when 

 broken presents a mottled surface, identical with that of the Parnal- 

 lee stone, which it resembles in every other particular. The specific 

 gravity of the two meteorites is identical, viz. 3-41. 



The Cynthiana stone, when treated with hydrochloric acid, gave : — 



A. Soluble silicate 56-50 



B. Insoluble silicate 43-50 



which were found to have the following composition : — 



A. B. 



Silicic acid 33-65 ... 57-60 



Iron protoxide 



Alumina 



Chromium oxide 



Lime 



Magnesia 



Soda 



99-20 100-74 



The troilite amounted to 5-50 per cent, and the nickel-iron to 5-93 

 per cent., which had the composition : — 



Iron = 90-64; Nickel = 8-35; and Cobalt = 0-73 = 99-72. 

 The mineral constituents are easily distinguished by the eye, and 

 consist of : — 



Olivine minerals 50-00 



Bronzite and pyroxenic minerals 30-00 



Nickel-iron 6-00 



Troilite 5-50 



Chrome-iron 0-52 



In recording the three interesting falls at Eochester, Warrenton 

 and Cynthiana, Dr. L. Smith draws attention to the remarkable fact 

 that during a period of eighteen years there have been twelve falls 

 of meteorites in the United States, of which specimens have been 

 collected. Eight of these falls, with over one thousand kilogrammes 

 of matter, have occurred over the prairie regions of the West, not far 

 from his home ; and the exti'eme limit of these falls is within a 

 region not exceeding one-eighth of the surface of the United States, 

 east of the Rocky Mountains. The population of this area is not 

 much above the average of that country. The four other falls in the 

 United States during the same period were attended with the 

 descent of less than two kilogrammes. 



1877, March 16th, 8 p.m. — Uitenhage, Cape of Good Hope, 

 South Africa.^ 



A magnificent fireball, such as few would ever see in a lifetime, 

 made its appearance in the East, "coming out of the eastern horizon" 

 at Uitenhage, "and travelling slowly across the firmament in an 

 oblique direction to the westward, when it burst, sending forth 

 streams of fire, as if from a hundred rockets, and then was heard a 

 low rumbling noise as of thunder in the distance. The meteor 

 1 The Times, London, May 21, 1877. 



