METEORITES OF NORTH AMERICA. 53 



freshet which had washed away the loose stones and earth. This is the same mass noticed by Professor Shepard at 

 page 250 of this issue, who appears to have been in possession of some scales from the concussion which disintegrated 

 the specimen. We have taken steps to obtain more detailed information respecting it. 



The next year Smith 3 published an analysis of the meteorite as follows : 



The first of these irons (Russel Gulch) I described in the September number of this journal, calling it the "Colo- 

 rado meteorite." Owing to the discovery of another in the same territory (specimens of which have been in my pos- 

 session for some little time), it will be proper to designate the first mass as the "Russel Gulch" iron and the other 

 as the "Bear Creek" iron. Of this last there are two short notices in the November number of this journal. The 

 specimen of it in my possession has enabled me to make a thorough examination of the constituents. The piece I have 

 has a portion of the exterior attached. 



As has already been stated by Professor Shepard, it is coarsely crystalline and laminated from the effects of decom- 

 position between the crystals; the surface contains considerable pyrites, although Professor Shepard did not dis- 

 cover any in his specimen. I was enabled to separate and analyze magnetic pyrites, schreibersite, and nickeliferous 

 iron. Of the magnetic pyrites sufficient was separated to make a quantitative determination, which was as follows: 



Sulphur 35. 08 



Iron 61. 82 



Nickel 41 



Insoluble residue 1. 81 



99.12 

 The schreibersite was not obtained in sufficient quantity for a complete analysis; about 50 milligrams of the pure 

 mineral gave all the constituents usually found in this interesting mineral. 



The nickeliferous iron, constituting of course the great bulk of the mass, was composed as follows: 



Iron 83. 89 



Nickel . * 14. 06 



Cobalt 83 



Copper minute quantity 



Phosphorus 21 



98.99 

 The laminse of iron are often very brilliant, having the luster of silver, and caused me to Buspect more nickel than 

 was found. It was supposed that in the decomposition of the crystals the iron would disappear more rapidly than 

 the nickel, and that by a process of cementation the nickel would accumulate in the laminae; but from careful exam- 

 ination of the process of decomposition there is no doubt that the interior of the mass will not differ materially in ite 

 composition from the analysis already given of the nickeliferous iron. Besides the minerals already mentioned, and 

 which properly belong to the original mass, there is much oxyd of iron containing some nickel arising from the decom- 

 position of the surface. 



Shortly after, Jackson * also published an analysis, as follows: 

 I received last Tuesday, November 6, a piece of meteoric iron from Rev. Mr. Thompson, who brought it from 

 Colorado, and who had negotiated for the large mass with the intention of presenting it to the Boston Society of 

 Natural History. I have just learned that Professor Shepard, through the agency of a friend in Denver City, has 

 secured the original mass, said to be 2 feet in diameter, for his cabinet. It appears, from Professor Shepard's letter to 

 me. that it is the same mass that is mentioned in the last (September) number of your journal, page 250. I made the 

 chemical analysis of it before being aware it was the same meteorite described, and since no previous analysis of it has 

 been made I offer mine to you for the journal, Professor Shepard expressing a desire that it should be published. 



The piece of meteoric iron given me by Mr. Thompson, who brought it from Colorado, weighs 4 ounces. It has 

 been heated in a forge fire in order to cut it more easily; but still the Widmanstattian figures come out when dilute 

 nitric acid is applied to the polished surface, as distinctly as possible, and consist of a series of small, nearly equi- 

 lateral triangles with the lines well defined and quite elevated. On one side of the specimen was a crust about one- 

 eighth of an inch thick, consisting of sulphid of iron. This probably, in the unaltered meteorite, is a bisulphid of 

 iron mixed with oxyd of iron. 



A portion of the clean metal sawed off from the mass has a specific gravity of 7.692. 



On chemical analysis by the most approved method, separating the iron from the nickel by succinate of ammonia 

 and determing the nickel as oxyd of nickel, and then analyzing this oxyd for cobalt and copper — a separate portion of 

 the meteorite being employed in analysis for the tin, which was twice determined, and the nitric solution being tested 

 for phosphoric acid and sulphuric acid, etc. — the results of my analysis in per cent are as follows: 



Metallic iron 90. 650 



Metallic nickel 7. 867 



Metallic cobalt 010 



Metallic tin 020 



Insoluble matter consisting of a little silica, schreibersite, and chrome, as 

 proved by blowpipe investigation 950 



99. 497 



