Oil the Iron Metcur lie from Mazapil, Mexico. 45 



V. — On the Iron Meteorite tchich fell near Mazapil, Mexico, 

 (liiring the star-shoiver of November 27th, 1885. 



BY WILLIAM KAKL IIIDDEX. 

 Read -lanuary 17'. 1887'. 



Of meteoric irons which have l)eei) seen to fall, onl}^ eight are 

 recorded, namely : that of Agram, Croatia, May 26, 1751; of 

 Charlotte, Dickson Co., Tennessee, Aug. 1, 1835; of Brannan, 

 liohemiii, July 14, 1847; of Tabarz, Saxony, OcL 18, 1854; of 

 Victoria-west, South Africa, in 1802 ; Nejed, Arabia, spring of 

 18G5 ; of Nedagolla, India, Jan. 23, 1870. and of Eowton, Shiop- 

 sliire, England, April 20, 1876. 



It has become my privilege to be able to add a ivmth fall to 

 this short list, and one, as its history proves, which is of more 

 than ordinary scientific importance. 



It seems probable that at last we are to know something posi- 

 tive of the composition of comets, which bodies have, up to this 

 time, given us nothing tangible wiiereupon we could base our 

 conclusions. Astronomers now generally believe that comets, 

 shooting-stars, meteors, and meteorites, all have a common ori- 

 gin ; and the history of this iron meteorite of Mazapil will help 

 us very materially to agree with this belief. 



" The only objection," states Prof. Hubert A. K^ewton, " that 

 has been urged against the relationship of meteorites to the star- 

 shower meteors, and the only objection which has apparent 

 force, is the fact that no meteorites have been secured" — as yet 

 — '• that are known to have come from the star-showers." "But," 

 he further states, ''since star-showers are surely related to 

 comets, it is reasonable to look for some relation of meteorites to 

 the bodies and systems, of which the comets form a part ;" and 

 '*'if at any time," (Natu]-e, Vol. 19, p. 315, 1879,) "a real connec- 

 tion can be traced between meteorites and shooting stars, we 

 may begin to ho])e for a solution of this interesting but difficult 

 problem." 



