54 
H. G. EORDHAM-THE METEORITE 
Flitwick, Westoning, Leighton Buzzard, Dunstable, and Whipsnade) 
are in Bedfordshire, in the centre and S.W. of that county; 9 (Ash- 
well, Baldock, Pirton, Knob worth, Welwyn, Digswell, Wheathamp- 
stead, No-Man’s Land, and Aldbury) are on or near the N.W. border 
of Hertfordshire ; 8 (Buckingham, Linslade, Ivinghoe, Dagnall, 
Aylesbury, Wendover, Prince’s Itisborough, and Sauuderton) are in 
Buckinghamshire; 4 (Kirtlington, Oxford, Thame, and Assendon) 
are in Oxfordshire ; and 7 (Wootton, Shippon, Marcham, Abingdon, 
Drayton, Wantage, and Letcomb) are in Berkshire. 
Upon examining the map, it will be seen that the distribution of 
these places is consistent with a course upon the line already 
suggested, or very near it. The majority of them are situated 
on, or within five miles of such a line; there being, however, 
a small area in Herts, in the neighbourhood of Welwyn, and 
one place (Assendon) in Berkshire outside the five miles limit to 
the !S.E. of the line, while to the N.W. there is a well-defined 
group of places in Bedfordshire, in the district of Potton and 
Biggleswade, as well as four other localities further to the west¬ 
ward, outside that limit. Two of these (Buckingham and Kirt¬ 
lington) are as much as 15 miles to the N.W. of the line. This 
would tend to show that the course of the meteorite lay a little 
N.W. of the Westley-Lamborne track, and was inclined slightly 
more to the S. 
If the area of well-marked disturbance is alone regarded, the 
track would probably be best defined by Barrington near Cam¬ 
bridge, and Wantage; being thus five miles to the N.W. of the 
already-determined track at its E. extremity, and two miles at 
its W. end. Such a line would pass between Leighton Buzzard and 
Dunstable, exactly over Aylesbury and Thame, and a little to the 
S. of Abingdon. It would still be well to the S.W. of the group of 
places round Ampthill in Bedfordshire, where there was a con¬ 
siderable shock experienced, that is to say about five miles from the 
centre of the group. 
The assumption that the track of the meteorite is to be properly 
marked by a straight line on the map is, however, hardly to be 
justified absolutely. It is not impossible that its course may have 
been affected by explosions, or that the mass of the meteorite may 
even have divided into several fragments, which may have pursued 
divergent courses. Thus, possibly, by subsequent explosions of 
fragments at different points, several centres of aerial disturbance 
may have given rise to the sounds heard in various places. 
The observation at Hertford does not go further than that a 
portion of the meteorite fell at one point on its course, and there is 
no other evidence as to the breaking up of the meteorite itself, 
except that furnished by the observation from Solihull, which seems 
to point to the final explosion terminating its existence. 
Subject therefore to the possibility just referred to, with respect 
to which we have practically no evidence, we have no option but to 
assume that the course of the meteorite maybe laid down on a straight 
line, a conclusion which I accordingly adopt. 
