4 
WARD’S NATURAL SCIENCE BULLETIN. 
material was at one time certainly in a state of 
fusion; and that the most remote condition of 
which we have positive evidence was that of 
small, detached, melted globules, the formation 
of which cannot be explained in a satisfactory 
manner, except by supposing that their constitu- 
ents were originally in the state of vapor, as they 
now exist in the atmosphere of the sun; and, on 
the temperature becoming lower, condensed into 
these £ ultimate cosmical particles.’ These after- 
wards collected into larger masses, which have 
been variously changed by subsequent metamor- 
phic action, and broken up by repeated mutual 
impact, and often again collected together and 
solidified. The meteoric irons are probably those 
portions of the metallic constituents which were 
separated from the rest by fusion when the meta- 
morphism was carried to that extreme point.” 
There are allusions to the fall of meteorites, 
more or less definite, scattered through ancient 
history, and the “shower of stones from hea- 
ven,’’ mentioned in the 11th verse, 10th chapt. 
of Joshua, as well as the image which fell down 
from Jupiter, mentioned in the 35th verse, 19th 
chapt. of Acts, are perhaps correctly explained 
by meteoric falls. And a meteorite which fell in 
Thrace 467 years before Christ, is described by 
Pliny as being as large as a cart. Another re- 
markable meteorite is the celebrated Black Stone, 
worshipped by the pilgrims to Mecca. Still there 
is comparatively little reliable data in regard to 
the fall of meteorites before the close of the 15th 
century; but we now have trustworthy accounts 
of about 200 falls, and the fragments have been 
gathered into the different museums and private 
collections of the world. 
It is a significant fact that of this number only 
three are iron meteorites, all the others belonging 
to the class known as stony meteorites (or aero- 
lites), and (a few) to an intermediate variety 
called Aerosiderolites or Syssiderese, consisting 
of a continuous sponge-like mass of iron, the 
cavities of which are filled with stony material. 
Many masses of meteoric iron have been found, 
however, suggesting the thought that there may 
havebeen a period when only iron meteorites came 
to the earth, previous to the present stony period. 
A chemical examination of meteorites shows 
that, although in their composition they are un- 
like any other natural product, their elements 
(over 20) are all known to us, and they are all 
built up of the same materials, although in each 
variety some particular element may predominate. 
In the main they are composed of metallic iron, 
and various compounds of silica. The iron 
forms as much as 95 per cent, in some cases, and 
less than one per cent, in others, hence the three 
classifications mentioned above. There are only 
one or two meteorites known in which metallic 
iron has not been found, and it is doubtful if it 
is entirely absent in these. The iron is always 
associated with a certain amount of nickel, 
usually cobalt, and sometimes copper, tin, and 
chromium. The silicates are mainly olivine and 
pyroxene. 
The general character of all these bodies is, 
“(1) their great variety in size, from that of 
a pea to many cubic feet; (2) irregularity of form, 
with rough and indented surface; (3) they are 
coated with a black crust or varnish, which 
doubtless arises from the fusion of the surface by 
the intense heat developed during the rapid pass- 
age through the atmosphere;” (4) the specific 
gravity of the stony variety is between 3 and 4; 
that of the irons 7 to 7.8; (5) composition as al- 
ready noted. 
If the polished surface of the irons is acted 
upon by nitric acid, certain figures called the 
Widmannstattian figures, are developed, which 
are peculiar to them, and have never been found 
on any other stone or metal. 
We have already stated that only three iron 
meteorites have been seen to fall. There have, 
however, been various masses found at different 
times and places, that are assumed to be of mete- 
oric origin, on account of their peculiar form, 
structure, chemical composition, &c., which dis- 
tinguishe them from all other bodies. Many of 
these are of large size and weight. One from 
Bates county, Mo., weighed 85 pounds; Augusta 
county, Va., 152 pounds. (These two have been 
sawed in slices, with an immense amount of 
labor and patience, and largely distributed to 
these are mounted on appropriate brass holders 
fixed in the block. Each specimen further bears 
a number, by which it is described in the 25 
pages of descriptive text accompanying the col- 
lection. This collection will be seen to answer 
the purpose admirably for Normal Schools and 
Academies. 
The $50 COLLECTION FOR UNION SCHOOLS and 
Amateurs is in nowise to be confounded with 
some fragment gatherings mis- called school cab- 
inets, its specimens averaging very nearly in size 
and beauty those of the collections previously 
noted. The difference in price between it and 
the previous collection is due mainly to a decrease 
in number; while in all such specimens as are 
required in elementary teaching, and with which 
every well-informed person is supposed to be 
acquainted, it is not lacking. 
These cabinets have all been planned with a 
direct and distinct regard to what was required 
in collections of the kind, and not from what 
material happened to be in stock, without thought 
as to what was needful. We think this will be 
apparent to those consulting our different cat- 
alogues, where all details will be found. 
In addition to the individual Minerals and the 
systematic collections above mentioned, we have 
prepared various special series of specimens 
compiled to illustrate the 'physical and structural 
properties of Minerals : 
Lustre, Color, Diaphaneity, Fusibility, Specific 
Gravity, Hardness, State of Aggregation, Fracture, 
Structure, External Form. 
We also offer suites of CRYSTAL MODELS of 
various sizes, in solid glass, in plate glass (with 
axes and angles shown by colored threads), in 
wood (some revolving to show combinations), 
and in plaster (white or with colored faces). 
Likewise, Models in cut glass of the CELE- 
BRATED DIAMONDS of the world, containing 
exact reproductions of 15 of these beautiful 
historical gems, from the handsome Pole Star — 
the original of which weighs 40 carats and 
belongs to the Princess Youssoupoff — to the 
valuable Kohinoor of the British crown, and the 
immense diamond belonging to the Great Mogul, 
said to weigh 297 carats. Also, models in glass 
of all the PRECIOUS STONES, faithfully colored 
and cut in appropriate forms, put up in sets of 
40, 60 and 84; fac-similes of the celebrated Wel- 
come Nugget, the Siberian Gold Nugget now 
in St. Petersburg, and the immense Platinum 
Nugget belonging to Count Demidoff; casts of 
interesting Meteorites; Goniometers, and all 
kinds of mineralogical apparatus. 
We offer an extra fine cabinet of Minerals of our 
largest and choicest specimens for $4,000. 
Meteorites. 
Our stock of these interesting objects consists 
at present of the following, of some of which 
we have numerous examples, of others but one 
or two specimens : 
IRONS. 
Augusta Co., Ya. Found in 1858 or 1859. 
Slices of various sizes polished and etched, $1.50 
— $2.00 per ounce; turnings, 75 cts. per ounce. 
Bates Co., Missouri. Found in 1875. Slices 
polished and etched, $2.00 per ounce. 
Cohahuila, Mexico. Polished slices, 50 — 75 
cts. per ounce; turnings, 30 cts. per ounce. 
Toluca, Mexico. Found in 1784. Slices pol- 
ished and etched, $1.00— $1.50 per ounce. 
different museums). The Tucson, in the Smith- 
sonian, weighs 1,400 pounds. The Gibbs, from 
.Red River, in the Yale College cabinet, weighs 
1,635 lbs. Eight masses from Cohahuila, ob- 
tained by Dr. Butcher, weighed from 300 to 800 
pounds each, (one of them weighing 430 pounds 
came into our possession last fall). Others of 
much larger size are known in Northern Mexico. 
One near Zopata is 8 ft. 3 in. in its greatest cir- 
cumference, and is estimated to weigh 4,000 lbs. 
Another still larger mass, called the San Gregorio 
meteorite, measures 6 ft 6 in. in its greatest length, 
5 ft. 6 in. high, and 4 ft. thick at its base; and 
others still larger than these have been reported 
from Australia and Oregon. 
The fall of meteorites to the earth is always 
accompanied with a great display of light, some- 
times illuminating an area of many thousand 
square miles ^hen they occur at night, and by 
loud detonations, so great occasionally as to 
shake houses as by an earthquake, and frighten 
men and animals for miles around. The detona- 
tions are caused by the breaking up of the meteor, 
and concussion of the atmosphere, which is usu- 
ally, although erroneously, described as an explo- 
sion. As the passage through our atmosphere occu- 
pies but a few seconds, the heat cannot penetrate 
far into the interior, but expends itself in melting 
and volatilizing the outer portions, and the frag- 
ments are cool enough to handle a short time 
after they strike the ground ; but as they enter 
the denser portion of our atmosphere at such a 
tremendous speed, the resistance becomes enor- 
mous, and they are broken to pieces by the con- 
tact nearly the same as if striking against a solid 
substance, the appearance and noise correspond- 
ing precisely to a veritable explosion. 
We have seen that the great majority of 
meteors are consumed before they reach our 
earth by the heat generated in their rapid 
motion through our atmosphere. 
A meteor traveling in the same direction as the 
earth, and overtaking it would enter our atmos- 
phere at a relative rate of about 37 miles per sec- 
ond less than if coming in the opposite direction, 
and would consequently have a much better 
chance of reaching it; therefore, although the 
front portion of the earth encounters the. most 
meteors we should expect the greatest number to 
reach it from behind. That portion of the earth 
where it is 6 a. m. , is the most forward portion, 
and that where it is 6 P. m., is the hinder portion, 
consequently a meteor approaching it from the 
rear would be most likely to strike it between 
noon and midnight, although if its course lay 
just outside the earth it might be attracted and 
drawn in so as to strike it at an earlier or later 
hour. I have tabulated all the falls for which I 
have obtained sufficiently accurate data, to see if 
the facts bear out this supposition, and have ob- 
tained the following results: 
Between noon and midnight 81 
“ midnight and noon 37 
At noon 12 
At midnight 2 
Between 11 a. m. and 6 p. m., (10 hdurs) 92 
“ 9 p. m. and 11 a. m., (14 hours) 40 
Between 11 a. m. and 6 p. m., (7 hours) 72 
For the other 17 hours - 55 
Between 6 a. m. and noon - 27 
“ noon and 6 p. m 56 
Thus we find that so far as our theory requires 
more falls between noon and midnight than be- 
tween midnight and noon, it is fully sustained, — 
the ratio being a little more than 2 to 1; but the 
ratio of falls from 11 A. m. to 9 p. m. is a little 
more than 3 to 1, compared to the rest of the day, 
and from 11 A. M. to 6 p. m. it is nearly 4 to 1; 
and the maximum number of falls instead of 
being at about 6 P. m. is about two hours earlier. 
One or two explanations, or partial explanations, 
for this suggest themselves, the most satisfactory 
perhaps, is, that as these figures we have been 
dealing with are only for falls where fragments 
have been gathered, it is fair to suppose that day- 
light would be the most favorable time for noting 
and securing these, and if we take the six hours 
after noon and compare them with the six hours 
before noon, we still find the ratio a little more 
than 2 to 1, and the maximum is more nearly 
where we should expect it, or late in the after- 
noon. E - E - H - 
