. The Australian Museum magazine. Natural history. THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM MAGAZINE. 313. .„ vi^^^* A portion of the etched surface of the " Delegate " meteorite (siderite) show- ing Widmanstaiten figures. This is reproduced direct from a contact print taken from the meteorite. The second class of meteorite is known as the iron and stone meteorites, or SideroUtes. As their name imphes, they consist of a mixture of the nickel iron alloys and one or more of the silicate minerals. The " Molong "' meteorite is a very interesting example of this class. It was found by ]VIr. John W
. The Australian Museum magazine. Natural history. THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM MAGAZINE. 313. .„ vi^^^* A portion of the etched surface of the " Delegate " meteorite (siderite) show- ing Widmanstaiten figures. This is reproduced direct from a contact print taken from the meteorite. The second class of meteorite is known as the iron and stone meteorites, or SideroUtes. As their name imphes, they consist of a mixture of the nickel iron alloys and one or more of the silicate minerals. The " Molong "' meteorite is a very interesting example of this class. It was found by ]VIr. John Williams on E. Farrell's farm on the Molong Creek, New South Wales, in August, 1912, and weighed sixty five and a half pounds. Exposed to the air it rapidly oxidises and crumbles away, and part of it is preserved in the Museum in a glass vat containing kerosene. It consists of rounded crystals of olivine oc- cupying the interstices of a network of nickel iron alloy. The Sydney Tech- nical College cut this meteorite into two portions, but owing to its hardness ordinary metal-cutting appliances were useless, and saw blades made of sheet copper fed with emery and carborun- dum were used ; in all it took 141 hours to cut through. The great majority of the olivine has been fractured, but by careful examination the late W. H. Gilding was able to obtain a small ])iece of gem quality which he cut and polished. This gem is now preserved in the Mining and Geological Museum, Sydney. The next class is represented by the stony meteorites or Aerolites, which consist essentially of sihcate minerals such as pyroxene, olivine and felspar. There may be present a little nickel- iron alloy. A meteorite of this class was discovered by Mr. A. McCormack near Einda, New South Wales, on the 5th June, 1912. He was engaged in rabbit traj^ping when he noticed what he took for a newly-formed rabbit burrow ; on tracing the burrow to its termination he discoveredthe meteorite. It consisted of felspar, pyrox
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1920, booksubjectnaturalhistory, booky
