— * 142 Scientific Intelligence. 
The Shalka meteorite belongs to Reichenbach’s first family (?) first 
group and Shepard’s Chladnitic-trachytic stones. 
(2.) An interesting fall of meteorites occurred on December 27th, 1857, 
25 minutes after 2 a. M., at Quenggouk near Bassein in Pegu. Three 
stones, which were evidently fragments of one meteorite, we found five 
tude of 40° to 50°, and after the termination of its path giving a report 
like that of a monster gun, followed by a rumbling noise. Another obser- 
i board of the 
vation made on boar 
Ss 
Ist, the height of the meteor was from 80 to 120 miles (16 bis 24 met 
len); 2d, the original cosmical course was E.N.E. to W.S.W., the latter 
part of it, however, from W. to E. this change being caused by the re- 
sistance of the atmosphere; 3d, the size of the meteor was, if the word 
three times is referred to the area of the moon, 14,400 feet, if to its diam- 
eter, 24,000 feet; 4th, the pieces found between five and ten miles were 
thrown asunder by a real explosion, produced by the rotation of the meteor ; 
5th, the pieces were real fragments, which fitted together and the frac- 
ture planes of which were not covered by a crust, a proof that the telluric 
fall did not take place with cosmic velocity; 6th, the detonation was 
heard at 100 miles distance but not at 200 miles. 
(3.) Another fall, on which Mr. Oldham reported to Haidinger, took 
place at 2 14™ p, m., on July 14th, 1860, at Dhurmsala in Punjab, and 
as accompanied by a tremendous noise and a great number of detona- 
tions, similar to those of the discharge of heavy artillery. The earth was 
shaken in convulsions and trembled. ree witnesses saw a flame of 
the intensity of cold which quite benumbed their fingers. The lar, 
piece found weighed 320 Ibs. The observation of the intensity of cold 
of the fragments is a matter of great interest and importance. ‘The little 
meteorite passes in its cosmical path during an incalculable period 
through an excessively cold space. By the resistance of the atmosphere, 
light and heat are developed, which latter might even produce a melting 
of the surface of bad conductors, whilst the inside of it remains quite cold. 
(4.) The fall of the meteorites at Futtehpore, Nov. 30th, 1822, has 
already been mentioned by Prof. Shepard (this Journal, 2d_ series, 
xi, 36). The mass is pale ash-grey, fine-grained, and on the fructure 
planes it shows yellowish brown spots of so-called iron-rust; vein-like 
a of pyrites of a reddish bronze yellow color pass through the mass ; 
e polished surface shows many particles of metallic iron, the largest 
