318 



[April, 



Dr. J. L. Smith in his Memoir on Meteorites, published in the last number of the 

 same Journal, March 1855, in which he gives the analysis of a piece cut from 

 one of the huge masses by Lieut. Jno. G. Parke, of the IT. S. Topographical 

 Engineers. Several months ago I had finished the following analyses of the 

 same meteorite, (which will be found to agree very well with those of Dr. Smith,) 

 but various circumstances have heretofore prevented my presenting to the 

 Academy the results of my examinations, which were made with pieces taken 

 from the specimen presented to the collection of the Academy of Natural Sciences, 

 by Dr. Heermann. 



To the descriptions of this meteorite given by D. C. U. Shepard and Dr. J. L. 

 Smith, I have to add only a few words. 



The pieces which I have examined were not passive, as Prof. Shepard remarks, 

 but dissolved readily in nitric acid, and also immediately precipitated metallic 

 copper from the solution of the sulphate. On dissolving it in chlorohydric acid, 

 only a slight odor of carburetted hydrogen was perceptible, and no gas evolved, 

 which precipitated an ammoniacal solution of chloride of copper ; a very small 

 quantity of Schreibersite separated in form of a brownish powder. 



On evaporation of the solution by nitric acid in a waterbath and subsequent 

 moistening of the dry mass by chlorohydric acid, all the substances were taken 

 up, excepting a small residue of siliceous matter. This dissolved partly on boil- 

 ing with carbonate of soda, leaving a residue, which I took for a feldspathic 

 mineral ; the quantity obtained, however, was too small for further examination ; 

 the small quantities of alkalies, lime and alumina speak in favor of this view, 

 and indicate that the residue insoluble in carbonate of soda is labradorite, a 

 mineral which is partly decomposed by acids. The silica, soluble in carbonate 

 of soda, results undoubtedly from the decomposition of olivine. I was particu- 

 larly cartful to obtain the whole quantity of cobalt and nickel, and have, there- 

 fore, not separated the sesquioxide of iron br carbonate of baryta, which method 

 is not quite correct; but have precipitated the boiling solution, containing sesqui- 

 oxide of iron, oxide of cobalt and nickel, magnesia, etc., and a sufficient quan- 

 tity of chloride of am -nonium by ammonia, and immediately afterwards acidulated 

 by acetic acid, boiled and filtered. All the other determinations were made as 

 usually. 



The following results were obtained. 



Notice upon the viviparous Fishes inhabiting the Pacific coast of North America, with 



an enumeration of the species observed. 



By Charles Girard. 



The observations which we have traced upon the genital apparatus of the 

 female, have satisfied us that there exists an ovarian sheath or sack, which, 

 during the early period of pregnancy, is an elongated and subcylindrical tube, 

 containing the ovaries proper, two in number, each of which consisting of two, 

 three, or more vascular membranes, attached by their upper edge to the upper 



