220 ANNUAL RECORD OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. 



ginning with the overleaping of the limits of inflammability, 

 and with increasing quantities of oxygen, exhibits a series 

 of different steps, until finally, by its total combustion, we 

 reach an invariable final result, exhibits many interesting 

 passages. Simple as is the result of the complete combus- 

 tion, the incomplete combustion is exceedingly complex. 

 If a mixture of carburetted hydrogen with oxygen approach- 

 es the limit of inflammability, then, in general, the steps 

 of the combustion are exceedingly complicated. In this 

 case the strong affinity of carbon for oxygen is shown, in 

 that the latter at first serves exclusively to form carbonic 

 oxide. When the hydrogen begins to take part in the 

 burning, then there becomes evident, as we recognize from 

 the compound nature of the resulting mixture of gases, an 

 effort to establish an equilibrium according to the properties 

 of the molecules. Similarly, under simpler conditions, in 

 the case of the incomplete combustion of a mixture of car- 

 bonic oxide and hydrogen, the burning gases arrange them- 

 selves according to their molecules; and the same regular- 

 ity holds in the complicated processes of the combustion of 

 carburetted hydrogen, while in the latter the play of the af- 

 finities of carbon and hydrogen in general is easily recog- 

 nized. Although we can not obtain clear views concerning 

 their relative proportions, still the observations which are 

 here given form definite starting-points for further consider- 

 ations. These simplest processes will, perhaps, assist in the 

 solution of problems of the highest importance in the me- 

 chanical explanation of the phenomena of chemical affinity. 

 Precisely those conditions which variously affect the affinity 

 of hydrogen and carbonic oxide, and which, as we may as- 

 sume, may be referred to the different friction of the gases, 

 point to causes which must be sought in the moving mole- 

 cules themselves. A thorough study of such modifying cir- 

 cumstances will Certainly advance our knowledge of the 

 nature of chemical affinities. Habituations Schrift, Leipzig, 

 1874. 



GASES OCCLUDED IX METEORITES. 



The meteorite that fell on the 12th of February, 1875, in 

 Iowa, has been examined chemically by Professor Wright, 

 of New Haven, who has shown that in the gases contained 



