Onxertain Stony and Metalline SubJIances. 219 



will be found to confift in a juft proportion; that the parts 

 be well (haped ; a free, affable, mild, and eafy motion ; a 

 found and fre(h colour, with the tints melting and tender; 

 that the direction of its lines be gently varied, and by no 

 means approaching to angular; and, laftly, that it is accom- 

 panied in a picture with a certain degree of foftnefs and 

 finiiTiing. 



The Greeks feem to have considered the exigence of beauty 

 and paffion as incompatible : hence fo little expreffion is found 

 in the Niobes ; they appear always to have facriiiced the latter 

 to the former. 



XXXVI. Experiments and Obfervations on certain Stony and 

 Metalline SubJIances which at different Times are /aid to 

 have fallen on the Earth; alfo on various Kinds of Natiie- 

 Iron. By Edward Howard, Efu. F.R.S. 



[Continued from p. 141.] 

 Examination of the Stone from Benares. 



X H I S (lone, as the Count de Bournon has already re- 

 marked, has the moft diftinguifhed characters. Indeed it is 

 the only one of the four, fufticiently perfect (if I may be al- 

 lowed that expreflion) to be l'ubjecled to any thing approach- 

 ing to a regular analyfis. 



The cruft, or external black covering, is the firft fubftance 

 to which the attention is naturally directed. When a por- 

 tion of this cruft had been detached with a knife, or a file, 

 and finely pulverized, I feparated the particles attractable 

 by a magnet; and digefted the un attractable portion with 

 nitric acid, which was prefently decompofed; but, owing 

 to a ftrong adherence of fome of the interior and earthy parts 

 of the (tone, it did not difentangle the coating or metalline 

 part without fome difficulty. The acid being fufficiently 

 neutralized, the folution was pafTcd through a filter, and fa- 

 turated to excefs with ammonia. An abundant precipitate 

 of oxide of iron was produced; and, when this oxide was fe- 

 parated, I obferved the faline liquor to have a greenifh co- 

 lour. I evaporated it to drynefs ; and rediffolved the dry fait 

 in dillilled water. No precipitate was formed during the eva- 

 poration, nor was the colour of the folution entirely deftroyed. 

 It appeared to me like a triple fait, defcribed by Mr. Herm- 

 ftadt * as an ainmoniacal nitrate of nickel. By examination 



'■ : Annah's de Cbimic^ torn. xxii. p. 108. 



with 



