On a Mass of Meteor ic Iron. 407 



the earth's orbit, being now generally considered as the view 

 which meets and explains most easily the peculiarities of their 

 structure and appearance. For expositions of some of the 

 various theories on these subjects, I need only refer to the 

 well-known memoirs of Professors C. U. Shepard and J. L. 

 Smith, M.D., of America,* and especially of Mr Robert Philips 

 Greg,f of Manchester. M. Haidinger, director-general of the 

 Geological Survey of Austria, has also published his views on 

 the origin of aerolites, in a recent communication to the French 

 Academy of Science. 



Catalogues of Meteors and Meteorolites. — Catalogues de- 

 tailing the particulars of all known meteors, aerolites, &c., 

 have been from time to time published. I may refer to 

 those given in the Reports of the British Association, and to 

 the very complete list by Mr R. P. Greg in the Report of the 

 year 1860. 



Aerolites may be supposed to have fallen on our earth from 

 the earliest periods of its history. I am not aware, however, 

 of any instances that have been noticed connecting their ex- 

 istence with the earlier or geologic history of our globe. In 

 the sacred Scriptures, such expressions as the great stones, 

 and the hailstones, that were cast down from heaven, on the 

 enemies of Israel, on the memorable occasion when an appa- 

 rent interruption of the earth's motion took place (Joshua x. 

 11) ; and, again, the use of such terms, as coals of fire, in 

 addition to the lightning, by the Psalmist, when speaking of 

 the wonders of the Almighty (Ps. xviii. 12, 13), suggest, at 

 least, the possibility of an allusion to these mysterious bodies 

 at that early period. 



Meteoric Stones worshipped. — In the book of Acts (xix. 

 35) we have reference made to the image of the Diana of 

 Ephesus, which fell down from Jupiter, undoubtedly an aero- 

 lite. The fall of one of these bodies among an ignorant and 

 superstitious people, with its attendant phenomena of fire and 

 explosion, would naturally be considered as a message from 

 the gods, and especially from the presiding deity of the dis- 

 trict. Various instances of falls of this kind are noticed by 

 ancient authors, whose statements we have no reason alto- 



* American Journal of Science. t Essay on Meteorites. 



VOL. II. 3 G 



