110 



BEITISH ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. 



[1854. 



attention 13 more particulary directed in the investigation of the cor- 

 refspoading characters in the higher QuacU-umana. Man is the sole 

 species of his genus — the sole representative of his order : he has no 

 nearer physical relations with the brute-kind than those which arise 

 out of the characters that link together the great group of placental 

 mammalia, called " Unguiculata." In conclusion, the Professor briefly 

 recounted the facts at present satisfactorily ascertained respecting the 

 antiquity of the Quadrumana and of man upon the surface of the earth. 

 At the time of the demise of Cuvier, in 1832, no evidence had been 

 obtained of fossil Quadrumana, and the Baron supposed that both these 

 and the Bimana were of very recent introduction. Soon after the loss 

 of that great re-constructor of extinct species, evidence with regard to 

 the fossil Quadrumana was obtained from different quarters. In the 

 oldest (eocene) tertiary deposits in Suffolk, specimens of jaws and 

 teeth were found, that unerringly indicated the former existence of a 

 species of monkey of the genus Macacus [Macacus coceims). About 

 the same time, the tertiary deposits from the Himalayan mountains 

 gave further evidence of the Quadrumana: jaws, astragali, and some 

 other parts of the skeleton, having been found completely petrified, and 

 referable to the genus called Semnopithecus, which is now restricted to 

 the Asiatic Continent. Dr. Lund discovered in Brazil fossil remains of 

 an extinct platyi'hiue monkey, stu'passing any known Cebus or Mycetes 

 in size : the platyrhines are pectiliar to South America. Lastly, in the 

 middle tertiary series in the south of France, was discovered a frag- 

 ment of the lower jaw, proving that at that period some species of the 

 long-armed ape (Hylobates) must have existed. But no fossil human 

 remains have been found in the regularly deposited layers of any of 

 the divisions (not even the pliocene) of the tertiary series. Human 

 bones have been found in doubtful positions, geologically considered, 

 such as deserted mines and caves, in the detritus at the bottom of cliffs, 

 but never in tranquil, undistui-bed deposits, participating in the mine- 

 ral characters of the undoubted fossils of those deposits. The petrified 

 Negro skeletons in the calcareous concretes of Guadalope are of com- 

 paratively recent origin. Thus, therefore, in referenceboth to the unity 

 of the human species, and to the fact of man being the latest, as he is 

 the highest, of all animal forms upon our planet, the interpretation of 

 God's works coincide with what has been revealed to us as to our own 

 origin and zoological relations in his "Word. Of the nature of the 

 creative acts by which the successive races of animals were called into 

 being we are ignorant. But this we know, that as the evidence of unity 

 of plan testifies to the oneness of the Creator, so the modifications of 

 the plan for the different modes of existence illustrate the beneficence 

 of the designer. Those structures, moreover, which are at present 

 incomprehensible, as adaptions to a special end, are made comprehen- 

 sible on a higher principle, and a final purpose is gained in relation to 

 human intelligence ; for, in the instances where the analogy of 

 humanly iuvented machines fails to explain the structure of a divinely 

 created organ, such organ does not exist in vain, if its truer compre- 

 hension in relation to the Divine idea lead rational beings to a better 

 conception of their own origin and Creator. — The discourse was illus- 

 trated by di-awings and diagrams of the principal external and osteolo- 

 gical characters of the different species of orangs and chimpanzees, and 

 of the different varieties of the human race. 



On Luminous Meteors; by Prop. Powell. 



The Report consists almost entirely of details of observations on 

 appearances of meteors, collected and communicated by various 

 observers who have in former years contributed to the Reports suc- 

 cessively printed in the volumes of the British Association. The 

 observations are chiefly from Mr. E. J. Lowe, Mr. King Watts, the 

 Rev. J. B. Reade, Mr. Bulard, and Mr. Farel, the latter of whom 

 accompanies his observations by beautifully-executed diagrams, giving 

 projections of the sky, with the paths of the observed meteors. 

 Considerable discussion has taken place on the subject, — of which 

 some account was given in the report, — between MM. Coulvin-Gravier 

 and G. Von Boguslawski, more especially on the constancy of the 

 August periodical shooting-stars, which had been denied by M. Coulvin- 

 Gravier. It appears to have been perfectly verified in the last year. 

 An unusual number seem also to have been observed on the 17th of 

 October. Also a vei'y remarkable large meteor was seen over a large 

 part of England on the 28th of October. 



Mr. Greg read a paper on ' Meteorolites and Asteroids,' in which he 

 brought forward some circumstances in connexion with those bodies, 



not hitherto noticed, in favour of the theory that they are identical in 

 nature and" origin. After stating some arguments against the theory 

 of the atmospheric origin of ferolites, Mr. Greg proceeded to give an 

 abstract of some results he had lately obtained in analyzing a very 

 complete catalogue of terolite falls. It would appear that since the 

 year 1.500 a.d. there are 175 authenticated instances of falls of Ecrolites. 

 the month of whose fall is known. The number for each month being 

 as follows : — for January 9, February 15, March 17, April 14, May 15, 

 June 17 falls, — first half of the year, 87 falls ; July 18, August 15, Sep- 

 tember 18, October 14, November 16, December 7 falls, — second half, 88 

 falls. Giring an average of 14-6 for each month. The most important 

 thing to notice is the small number of terolites registered for the months 

 of December and January, and the comparatively large number for 

 June and July. The former two showing but 16 instances of falls, the 

 latter two 35, or more than double. Now, granting that these serolites, 

 or meteorolites, belong to the system of the asteroids, having orbits 

 therefore whose mean distance is superior to the earth's orbit, it is 

 certainly reasonable to conclude, than it is when the earth is 

 farthest from the sun, i. e. at her aphelion, that the meeting 

 with a3rolitie3 is rendered most probable. This is what would 

 appear really to be the case, for the earth is at her greatest distance 

 from that luminary on the side of the summer solstice, i. e. in June and 

 July, precisely the months shown to be most abundant in aerolites. 

 Mr. Greg then referred to a recent number of the Comptes Rendus, in 

 which there is a paper by Le Verrier on the asteroids. M. Le Verrier 

 shows by calculation that the sum of the mass of the fragmentary planets 

 called asteroids cannot exceed one-fourth of the earth's mass ; and also 

 shows it probable that their mean mass or system is at its perihelion, and 

 consequently nearest the earth, at the time when the earth herself is on 

 the side of the summer solstice. This would appear again confirmatory ot 

 the theory that terolites are the minute outriders of the asteroids. There 

 would appear to be also further evidence, though of another kind. It 

 has been supposed that some of the larger asteroids have irregular and 

 angular surfaces, which is precisely the case with the majority of the 

 meteoric stones which fall to the earth. Again, taking the 

 average specific gravity of serolites at 3-0 (they vary from 1-7 to 8 -9), 

 further indirect evidence is afforded as to their position with regard to 

 distance from the s>m, and, taking water as 1 -0, the following table 

 shows the relative densities of several of the planetary bodies, follow- 

 ing the order of their distances from the snn : — Mercury, 15'7 ; Venus, 

 5-9; Earth, 5-6; Mars, 5-2; Aerolites, 3-0; Asteroids, (?), Jupiter, 

 1-4. Another circumstance relating to asrolites which was alluded to 

 by Mr. Greg was the periodicity of those bodies, and he mentioned more 

 particularly the 19th of May, 29th of November, 13th of December, 

 15th to 19th of February, and 26th of July, as being ferolitic epochs, 

 reroute falls having been recorded on the following days : — February 

 10, 10, 13, 1.5, 15, 15, 18, 18, 18, 19, 19, 25, 27, 27; May 9, 10, 17, 

 17, 17, 18, 19, 19, 20, 22, 26, 26, 27, 28 ; July 3, 3, 4, 7, 8, 12, 14, 

 17, 18, 22, 24, 24, 26, 26, 26, 30; November 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 20, 23, 

 25, 27, 29, 29, 29, 29, 30, 30; December 11, 13, 13, 13, 13, 18, 

 14. In referring, however, to the epochs most remarkable for the 

 periodical displays of luminous meteors, as November and August 9th 

 to 14th days, Mr Greg observed that the number of aerolites recorded 

 as falling on those days is remarkably small, indeed under the average 

 of the year, for out of 155 falls (the day as well as month of fall being 

 known), but four have fallen between the 9th and 14th days of August 

 and November. The Eerolitic and (luminous) meteoric epochs also 

 would appear to differ, with the exception of the 29th of November. 

 From this circumstance it seems probable that terolites, and the 

 majority of luminous meteors (especially periodic and conformable 

 ones), are resolvable into separate classes ; and in corroboration of 

 this it may be mentioned, that while the number of serolites whose 

 falls have been recorded are about equally divided for the first as for 

 the second half of the year, this is very far from being the case with 

 luminous meteors, by far the larger numbers of which are observed 

 during the second half of the year, viz., from July to December. While, 

 then, we consider serolites as belonging to asteroids, with orbits 

 superior to the Earth's and partaking of the nature of true though 

 minute planets, the majority of luminous meteors may be considered 

 as having characters more in common with comets. It has been shown 

 by several astronomers, as Olmsted, Pierce, Erman, and others that the 

 majority of periodic meteors have orbits inferior to the Earth's, and 

 their perihelia near the planet Mecury. Mr. Greg concluded, after 

 making some observations in favour of the self-luminosity of meteors, 

 by suggesting the probability of their having a nature less dense than 

 that of serolites, but denser than that of comets, and that it is not im- 

 probable they have a fluid or viscid nature. 



