n, and
this iron, on being analyzed at Copenhagen, was found to be rich in
nickel. The Esquimaux once made knives from iron containing nickel; and
as any such alloy they must have found and not manufactured, it was
supposed to be of meteoric origin. Some young physicists visited the
basaltic coast in Greenland from which some of the supposed meteoric
stones had been brought, and in the middle of the rock large nodules
were found composed of iron and nickel; it, therefore, became evident
that the earth might produce masses not unlike such as come to us as
meteorites. The lecturer here exhibited a section of the Greenland rock
containing the iron, and nickel alloy, mixed with stony crystals, and
its resemblance to a section of a meteorite was obvious. It was 21/2 times
denser than water, yet the whole earth is 51/2 times denser than water, so
that if we could go deep enough, it is not improbable that our own globe
might be found to contain something like meteoric iron. He then called
attention to the following tables:

_Elementary Substances found in Meteorites_.

Hydrogen. Chromium. Arsenic.
Lithium. Manganese. Vanadium?
Sodium. Iron. Phosphorus.
Potassium. Nickel. Sulphur.
Magnesium. Cobalt. Oxygen.
Calcium. Copper. Silicon.
Aluminum. Tin. Carbon.
Titanium. Antimony. Chlorine.

_Density of Meteorites_.

Carbonaceous (Orgueil, etc.) 1.9 to 3
Aluminous (Java) 3.0 " 3.2
Peridotes (Chassigny, etc.) 3.5 " --
Ordinary type (Saint Mes) 3.1 " 3.8
Rich in iron (Sierra de Chuco) 6.5 " 7.0
Iron with stone (Krasnoyarsk) 7.1 " 7.8
True irons (Caille) 7.0 " 8.0

_Interior of the Earth_

Parts
of the
radius. Density.
0.0 11.0
0.1 10.3
0.2 9.6
0.3 8.9
0.4 8.3
0.5 7.8
0.6 7.4
0.7 7.1
0.8 6.2
0.9 5.0
1.0 2.6

[Illustration]

Twice a year, said Professor Dewar, what are called "falling stars"
maybe plentifully seen; the times of their appearance are in August and
November. Although thousands upon thousands of such small meteors have
passed through our atmosphere, there is no distinct record of one having
ever fallen to the earth during these annual displays. One was said to
have fallen recent