similar to their predecessors, are endowed nevertheless with other forms, and of necessity therefore with other habits, associations, and aspects-exactly like the centenary in our human societies. On the other hand, the upper beds of the New Red, such as the 'Halstatter Kalk,' the 'Raibler Schichten,' the 'Bonebed,' or the Keuper contain forms indicating the approach of another geologic period of secondary beds (Jurassic and Cretaceous), beings which Professor Quenstedt has happily designated as the 'precursors' or 'advance guard' of the Mesozoic populations. Precocious beings, these precursors, recalling generally by their sudden appearances and disappearances, those comets which coming from time to time announce that great events are on the point of fulfillment. Or, better still, they may be compared to plants which, forced in hot-houses, flourish in the winter, in place of awaiting the spring and whose pale-tinted flowers, and etiolated or disproportioned forms, appear as if they knew that they were before their time, and as if it was only a species of tentative experiment, which they were performing and so they hastened to disappear to make room for the vigorous and abundant flora of the warm season."-Bibliothèque Üniver selle (de Genève), Juin 20, 1859, pp. 145, 146.

[Obs. It will be interesting for the reader to turn from Mr. Marcou's "rear guards, isolated spectators," and "advance guards," to the plain prose of facts observed by Dr. Newberry in New Mexico, on the site of our author's assumed Jurassic beds. See p. 298.]

ART. XXXII.-Examination of a supposed Meteoric Iron, found near Rutherfordton, North Carolina; by CHARLES UPHAM SHEPARD.

FOR mv first knowledge of this Iron, I am indebted to Dr. Thomas S. Duffy of Rutherfordton, who in the winter of 1857 casually mentioned to me at Charleston, that he had been shown a very remarkable specimen of an ore found in his vicinity, of the character of which no one had been able to pronounce a satisfactory judgment. From his description of its lustre and color, and of certain striæ on one or more sides of the mass, I conceived it might prove a large crystal of mispickel. He was kind enough on his return home to send me in a letter, a few grains that had been chipped from the mass. These Í found to be slightly malleable and magnetic, while they suf fered no sensible alteration before the blowpipe ;-properties that at once excited my curiosity, and led to my requesting Dr. Duff to purchase the specimen for me. Sometime elapsed before he was able to effect the object, chiefly owing to the removal of the original proprietor to a distance from Rutherford. In

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November, 1858, however, he sent the specimen to me by the hand of Rev. Mr. Bowman; and a month after addressed me the following note, in reply to several interrogations I had propounded. "I have been considering the questions you asked me relative to the nondescript specimen I sent you by Mr. Bowman. It was ploughed up at the foot of a hill near a small water-course, named Sisemore Branch, about half a mile from where it empties into Second Broad River, and four miles from Rutherfordton. It was found by a man named Pinner, who has since removed to the southwest. Search was made, but no similar piece was discovered, although iron ore of good quality was found. There are no iron-works in the neighborhood. This is all the information I am able to communicate about a substance which has puzzled us all here. You will oblige me by retaining it in your possession, till I can say something definite as to its ownership.'

My perplexity was greatly increased on the inspection of the mass. Its weight was three pounds and three quarters, and its specific gravity, 6·745. Its shape was imperfectly cylindrical; and it measured a little above three inches in length, by rather less than three in one of its diameters, and two in the other. It was moreover slightly tapering in its figure, having evidently been broken directly and evenly across at each extremity, from connection with a longer mass, that may have been stalactitic in shape, or even drop-form, like the Charlotte meteoric iron, that was seen to fall August 1, 1835. Almost the first impression created by the fragment is, that it is cast-iron or steel, that has been run in a mould formed by a fossil Calamite, supposing also that the surface was afterwards perfectly cleared of any crust or film, and polished throughout at every point. Singular ver

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tical striæ prevail on one side of the flattened cylinder, while on the other half, a totally different style of marking is visible.

The nearer the view however, the less striking is the resem blance to any species of casting: and the shape is seen to conform but very imperfectly to a section of a Calamite; for, strictly speaking, the mass is only semi-cylindric in figure, three-fifths of the remainder being flat, and the balance but slightly convex. The first sketch presents an outline of the smaller base.

The same general figure would be afforded by cross-sections made at any point, between the base and summit of the mass; and it may therefore be employed to describe in part, the character of the sides of the cylinder. From 1 to 2 is a pitted, wavy, irregular surface, like that ordinarily seen on true meteorites. Between 2 and 5 is the most perfectly turned and smooth portion of the cylindric surface. Its symmetry is nearly complete, except for four vertical channels or grooves, one-sixteenth of an inch in depth and one-eighth across at top. These have convex sides which meet at bottom so as to touch without actual coalescence, continuing distinct, though in apposition, for a depth of nearly one-tenth of an inch. In several places also the entire channel of the groove, for the distance of nearly an inch, is filled with the substance of the mineral, as if the matter had flowed into and filled it after the solidification of the sides. It is noticeable also, that the external surface of the matter thus introduced is exactly smoothed off, and pitted, to correspond to the rounded cylindric surface of the mass. These grooves occur at 3, 4, 5 and a. Between the grooves are numerous perfectly parallel and equidistant vertical lines, made up of slight punctures or depressions. The punctulated striæ are denoted as to number and position in the figure, by the inwardly projecting points. Other dots are here and there visible also upon the surfaces, intermediate between the punctulated lines, all of which are seen in the second diagram, where a full representation is given of the grooved semi-cylinder itself. Portions of the groove which have been filled up are seen near the bottom. The punctulated lines are denoted on B, C and D. They are less visible on E, while A is undulous and pitted, as in meteorites generally. The side of B, contiguous to A, has a character intermediate, between the broad-pitted and the punctulate.

The opposite side (fig. 3) of the mass is perhaps the most anomalous in its markings. The flat surface F (from which a considerable fragment has been chipped off at g) is smooth, with the exception of a multitude of finely pectinated wrinkles, or wave-like elevations, which to the axis, are almost horizontally disposed. These are interrupted in their continuity by several nearly smooth spaces, or channels, running cross-wise from top to bottom, as if produced by the pressure of a broad gravure.

Other lines still more delicate come into view with the aid of a glass, forming a complication of patterns exceedingly delicate,

but too intricate for description. They do not however possess any analogy to the etchings on meteoric iron, steel or cast-iron.

The surface G at its uppermost portion (or to the right in the figure) is almost perfectly smooth, presenting only a faint resemblance to the flat side, in the presence of a few nearly obsolete wrinkles. At the middle region, however, these elevations become more strongly marked; while still lower down (to the left) they degenerate in regularity and pass into the pitted and undulous surface, as they form the interior of a crateriform cavity fully half an inch deep, by three quarters of an inch across at its opening. The appearance of this cavity at once suggests the idea that a blunt solid was thrust into the matter when nearly congealed, forcing it into the large wrinkles or waves which form the circumference of the crater. Indeed, it appears highly probable that all the undulations and crimpings, large and small, originated in the foreign body that produced this deep cavity. Very little stress however could be attached to an explanation of such various and unusual appearances as this mass presents, and I could venture upon no conjecture of its origin as a whole, more probable, than that the matter of which it is composed had flowed originally into a cavity in some earthy, refractory material, where it slowly suffered congelation, pressing with greater force perhaps against the walls of the cavity on the striated or semi-cylindric side than upon the other. In any case, it seems quite certain, that its formation occurred with entire exclusion of atmospheric air; and if a meteorite, it must have been protected by a covering of stony matter, until it reached the surface of the earth. The strangeness of external aspect was regarded as affording a certain degree of probability in favor of its meteoric origin; since all who have studied these productions attentively, have recognized in them traits, wholly inexplicable from our knowledge of merely terrestrial matter.

Chemical experiments soon proved that the mass was essentially composed of iron and silicon, with an unusually high proportion of the latter element; a discovery again, that pointed with some significancy towards a meteoric origin, provided the artificial source should also be rendered improbable: for up to this moment, no mineral belonging to our earth has presented silicon combined with any other element than oxygen. I hastened to communicate my result to Dr. Duffy, from whom I received (Jan. 1, 1859) the following additional information. "I had the pleasure of receiving yesterday, your note of the 27th ult. The account you give me of the mineral I sent you is very interesting. I beg you will accept of the mass from me. It was found in the spring of 1855. There is no evidence of iron ever having been made near the place. I shall be able to send you some iron-ore from the same locality, when an opportunity