TjhtoridJ ( (iiiniKiit . oS * 
In ivvie\vin<>- the faots prcsciitiMl by the analyses, one is inclined 
to doubt the veracity of the specimens uixm which professors 
Torrey and Barbour made their analyses. In view of the num- 
l)er of counterfeit speciiiKMis that were exhibited soon after their 
value became known, some of which resemlded the mete(jrite 
closely, a mistake of this nature might easily occur. 
The specimens uiK)n ^vhich my analysis was made were sent by 
^Ir. Kugene Secor. of Forest City, a tiiistee of the Towa Agricult- 
ural College. t(^ Prof. Herbert Osboin. and are now under his 
care in the college museum. Other sjx'cimens were sent to mo 
liv parties in Forest City, and I think there can lie no doulit 
as to the genuineness of the samjiles analyzed. 
On the whole it would appear advisaltle that there l)e a careful 
revision of the work for such \ariability in' chcinica] coni[)osition 
is unparalU'led in the history of meteoi-ites. ami if true >liould 
have clear contirmatorv evi(h^nce. 
EDITOEIAL COMMENT. 
RKCKNI" SiriMKS 1 .\ Sl'll KHT I.IT [C CK'^'SI.V l,l.l/.V'llo\. 
€oii»titiitioti iind orujiii of !<;pJt('nilites in uriif rrnpfiri' ror/:.t. WntiMA^ 
Ckoss. (Phil. Soc. AVasli. Vol. ix, pp. 411-444.) 
SpheniUtii- n-yntdUization. .Tos. P. Iudixgs. (Phil. Soc. Washin<rton, 
Vol. IX, pp. 445-4G4,) 
^Ir. Cross found, in the investigation of sphei'ulitcs and litiio- 
physsv of Colorado that the vii'ws lioth of the German and the 
French and of the English pelrographeis were inapplicaltle and 
the schemes of classification were unsatisfactoiv. lie sketches 
(leiman opinion, from Vogelsang to Zirkel an<l Kosenliusch, with 
critical oltscrvations. In particulai'. the term ■•micr(d'elsite ' 
proi)()sed bv Zirkel and coiisidei'e<l by |{osenl)U>^ch to signify a 
distinct mineral species occurring in scales and fibres and having 
a characteristic radiating spherulitic structure. ^Ir. Cross con- 
siders with lildings. Teall and Uri'igger to l>c impiopcrly ilelincd. 
He rathei- inclines to the o|)inion that these suttstanc-es consist of 
a •suliinicroscopic" inteiurowth of orthoclas(> ami (piartz. and 
