PEOCEEDINGS OF GEOLOGICAL SOCIETIES. 
91 
that of Imilac, vrhich mav have fallen about 1820, I will now refer to 
Shepard's account in 1850 of three new North American meteorites, 
with observations upon the general distribution of such bodies, 
and on the falling of meteorites over a limited zone or area of 
the earth's surface. He says : — " Out of the fourteen depositions of 
meteoric matter on the American continent within the last few years, 
thirteen have taken place between 33° and 44° N. ; one only at 
Maceio, in Brazil, south of the Equator, — a distribution exceedingly 
unequal." He however concludes " that there is a zone or region 
over which meteoric falls are more frequent than elsewhere." 
Eun the eye easterly from the meteoric region of Atacama, on tlie 
west coast of South America, for ten degrees of longitude, and now 
we come upon that extraordinary deposit of solid meteoric iron of 
Otumpa* (about thirteen tons), of which there is so magnificent 
a specimen in the British Museum. Near Bahia, in Brazil, is another 
mass of iron of 14,000 lbs. 
On Arrowsmith's old map of Soutli America, at a distance of twenty- 
three geographical miles S.S.W. of the city of Tucuman, appears 
the word "Meteores;" does this mean that meteoric iron has been 
found there ? Antofogasta is about 2° W.N.W. of the " Meteores," 
and I have reason to believe that meteoric iron exists about there. 
In the map to Wilcocke's 'Buenos Ayres,' at the junction of the 
Berraejo and Paraguay rivers are the " Montes de Hierro;" monte 
may mean mountain or forest. This locality is about 2° jST.E. of 
Otumpa, and tlie iron spoken of here may be meteoric. 
In the ' Coleccion de Memorias Cientificas, etc., por M. E.de Bivero 
y Ustariz' (Brussels, 1857), there are details and analyses of several 
masses of meteoric iron found in the Cordillera of the Andes (of 
Bogota). 
My impression is, that when this subject of meteoric zones is 
worked out, more falls will have to be recorded in South America 
than given by Shepard. 
PKOCEEDINGS OF GEOLOGICAL SOCIETIES. 
GrEOLOGiCAL SociETT OF LoNDON. — January 22, 1862. — Sir E. I. Mur- 
chison, V.P.G.S., in the chair. The following communications were read: — 
1. "On some Flint Arrow-heads (?) from near Bajjijy Point, North 
Devon." By N. Whitley, Esq., communicated by J. S. Enys, Esq., F.G.S. 
Immediately beneath the surface-soil above the " raised beaches " of North 
Devon and Cornwall, the author has observed broken Hints ; and even 
* It is not known when the Otumpa iron fell. It was visited by Celis and Cerviiio 
in 1783. The length of it is 3 i yards, 2 yards in width, 4 feet 6 inches deep, and con- 
tains 9f cubic yards. This appears to be independent of smaller pieces. It is called 
by the natives the Masa de fierro, or mass of iron ; the meteorite of the Chaco : of the 
Chaco Gualamba. It was discovered by people from Santiago del Estero on one of their 
expeditions to " malear," or hunt for honey and wax. It is in about 27° 43' S., 2" 40' 
W. of Buenos Ayres. 
