236 G. F. Kunz — Meteoric Iron from New Mexico. 



upon which it had fallen, in three fragments, and judging from 

 the few marks of weathering, had not been long exposed. 

 The exact date of the discovery I am unable to give at this 

 time, for since it came into my possession I have not succeeded 

 in communicating with Mr. Sponsler, he being absent out of 

 the reach of the mails. In due time 1 expect to be able to 

 settle this point and to announce it with other facts of interest. 

 The weight of the entire mass is 317 lbs. (143-76 kilos.). 

 Perhaps one kilo had been chipped off before it came into my 

 possession, so that the original weight was probably about 

 145 kilos. The diagram accompanying this will give a general 

 idea of the former relative position of the three pieces ; No. 1 

 projecting above and below No. 2, as indicated by the shading, 

 and No. 3 fitting in at the lower right hand end. The dimen- 



sions of the whole were approximately as follows: length 25 

 inches (65 cm.), height 10 inches (25 cm.), thickness 15 inches 

 (37 cm.) It is curious that so large and compact a mass of iron 

 should have been so completely broken asunder, and in this 

 respect the fall is quite unique. The fractures are very clean 

 considering the size of the fragments, although the edges are 

 somewhat irregular. No. 1 is filled with elongated hollows, 

 proving that it evidently was disturbed, and the twistings in 

 No. 2 at the point of impact would lead to the conclusion that 

 the falling body was partly semiplastic ; but Professor It. Ii. 

 Thurston, who kindly examined the iron, compares the frac- 

 ture to the effect that is produced by a sudden heavy blow on 

 cold iron and has observed the same violent wrenching in an 

 iron target used in heavy gunning practice and now at the 

 Stevens Institute, Hoboken, N. J. 



No. 1 weighs 148-J- lbs. About one-third of the whole sur- 



