400 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 
enough, it was in the process of digging out one of these 
sunken cellars that the black extremity of this piece of me- 
teoric iron was noticed sticking in the clay, at a depth of some 
three or four feet from the floor of the house. These pits 
were dug out of the ground, close by the boundary of the 
garden, on that part of it formerly covered by the broad 
mound of earth, or old turf wall, which formed the original 
fence. (The site of this house is well seen in the Ordnance 
Survey Map of the village, in the small division No. 2211.) 
The unusual appearance and great weight of the black-look- 
ing stone attracted the attention of Mr George Burnet, one of 
the masons employed at the work ; and as he had a taste for 
collecting anything peculiar, he carried it to his own cottage, 
which was only a few doors farther down the village. Mr 
George Burnet died in 1842, and Francis his brother suc- 
ceeded to the cottage and garden, which he still occupies. 
Some time after a stone wall was built round this cottage gar- 
den, and as specimens of different kinds had been collected, 
an old stone trough, which happened to be in the way, was 
laid on its side and built into the wall, forming thus a sunk 
recess, where those various specimens which were considered 
scarcely ornamental enough to be kept in the dwelling house, 
could be placed in safety ; and here this mass of meteoric iron 
has lain, for five-and-thirty years ; exhibited from time to time, 
with the other curiosities, to any chance visitor whose fancy 
might lead him to examine them. 
Francis Burnet is an intelligent, observing man, and to him 
I was formerly indebted for collecting some of the Roman 
relics which were found in the neighbouring fields. When 
residing in the district last summer, I visited the village, to 
learn if anything new, or rather old, had been observed in the 
course of the agricultural operations of the last few years ; 
and my attention was soon attracted to the small collection of 
specimens in Mr Burnet's garden. I was at once struck with 
the very peculiar appearance of this mass of metal, which we 
removed to the burn side at the foot of the garden, to get 
washed and inspected more carefully. I then learned the 
history of its discovery, already so minutely detailed, and after- 
wards inspected the locality itself, being anxious to Collect 
