137 
1861.] Meport on the Shalha, fyc. Meteorites. 
P. Seelheim (Jahrbucher des Yereinz fur Naturkunde im Herzog : 
Nassau, 1857, Vol. 2, p. 105,) was presented by the discoverer to Dr. 
Haidinger who incorporated it with the Imperial Museum. Baron 
Reichenbach very properly remarks, that the brown colour as describ- 
ed by M, M. Gergens and Seelheim can in no way be the result of 
subsequent terrestrial decomposition. The stone, however, had been 
found underground, without any notice about a fall having recently 
taken place in the environs of Mayence, and its external surface had 
in fact suffered from beginning decomposition. The Segowlee meteo- 
rite had been taken up immediately after its fall. The brown sub- 
stance although very solid, is anything but homogeneous. As in 
other meteorites, it includes portions of circular or angular trans- 
verse section, of darker or lighter tints, greater or less hardness 
interspersed throughout with minute particles of metallic iron and 
magnetic pyrites ; here and there of somewhat larger size. The 
largest granule of magnetic pyrites is about -J- inch in length and ^ 
inch in breadth : the largest iron granule is about \ of this size. 
The substance is intersected by numerous fissures, not running 
straight as genuine crevices, and like those of the Futtehpore meteo- 
rite, but bearing rather the character of solutions of continuity, sur- 
rounding more coherent nodular portions. Where a corner of the 
large 34 lbs. meteorite is struck away, the plane of fracture is coarse, 
grossly nodular, like rusty iron and resembles as Baron Eeichenbach 
very justly remarks, “a lump of poor brown iron ore.” The hardest 
among the globules are prominent above the surfaces laid bare by 
real fracture. 
The crust is Very thin, nowhere above of an inch ; dark red- 
dish-brown generally opaque with a darker blackish tint, and some 
little lustre on the plainer portions of the surface, and on the round- 
ed edges, as it may be supposed to be in a substance refractory to 
fusion. 
The form of the large Segowlee specimen, as shewn in the cast 
which we owe to the kindness o‘f our respected friends, deserves par- 
ticular attention. It indicates clearly that the meteorite moved in 
the direction A. B. (see wood cut), the centre of gravity lying visibly 
within the thicker portion. Waves of shallow rounded depressions are 
particularly to be recognized on the posterior pointed and lighter extre- 
