METEORITES OF NORTH AMERICA. 105 



The account of the history of the stone is so complete and circumstantial as to make it appear worthy of confidence, 

 notwithstanding the many years which have passed since the stone fell. 



The stone, which became the property of the Yale Museum, consisted of two parts fitted closely together, and the 

 fractured surface between them was fresh except for the oxidation of the iron. The general shape of the stone was 

 roughly rectangular with dimensions of 12 by 10 by 10 cm. The surface is smooth, with no sharp edges or angular 

 projections. On one side the crust, which is rather thick, shows with remarkable distinctness the lines of flow diverg- 

 ing from what was probably the projecting point in its flight through the air; on what was presumably the rear side 

 the crust is thicker, rather rough, and somewhat cellular or slaglike. One portion of the crust is simply blackened 

 over without having a distinct crust, as if a part had been broken off shortly before it struck the ground. The general 

 color of the fresh surface is light gray except as it is stained by the rusting of the iron; this oxidation has proceeded 

 rather far, as might have been anticipated, and, indeed, the appearance of some portions suggests that there may have 

 been present also some deliquescent compound (e. g. iron chloride). The mass as a whole is somewhat porous and 

 easily fractured. 



The metallic particles which have mostly a bluish tarnish are scattered very uniformly through the whole mass. 

 The chondritic character is distinct though not strongly marked, yellowish-white spherules of olivine, and others of a 

 dark gray (bronzite) are sparingly scattered through it; for the most part it appears to be granular crystalline. 



In the sections examined under the microscope the olivine is seen in granular form, not often distinctly grouped 

 in chondrules; the bronzite also in longitudinal fragments. The dark-gray chondrules have an indistinct fibrous 

 eccentric structure and act rather feebly on polarized light — they may be also bronzite. The fel dspar is not particularly 

 distinct, although occasional patches of a dull gray in polarized light probably belong here. Glassy matter is not 

 distinctly observed. 



Analysis by Penfield. 



The analysis of the iron gave: 



Fe 91.93 



Ni 7.39 



Co * 0.63 



Cu 0.05 



100. 00 

 The analysis of the remaining portion yielded : 



Q i 1.1 ■ Trni (Troilite 6.95 



Soluble mHCl {,,... 



[ Silicates 42. 68 



Insoluble, including chromite 50. 19 



Water 0.58 



The soluble and insoluble parts gave further: 



Sol 



Si0 2 15. 50 



A1 2 3 trace 



FeO 9.52 



MgO 17. 17 



CaO 



Na 2 0.12 



K 2 0.02 



P 2 O s 0. 35 



Chromite 



42.68 100.00 50.19 100.00 



The composition of the first portion corresponds very closely to a ferruginous olivine, the ratio of silica to bases 

 being 1 : 2.17. The insoluble part is evidently for the most part bronzite, with probably a little feldspar, to which the 

 alumina and soda and most of the lime belong. 



This stone belongs to a rather common type of meteorites, the light-gray chondrites. The chemical analysis shows 

 a relation of native iron to troilite and silicates very near that of the Utah meteorite, namely, 17.90 to 82.10 per cent. 



Specific gravity, 3.67. 



Brezina 2 classes the meteorite as a spherical chondrite (Cc) and describes it as follows : 

 Cape Girardeau is not very rich in chondri, quite strongly rusted, and not very friable. 

 The stone is principally preserved in the Yale collection. 



BIBLIOGRAPHY. 



1. 1886: Dana and Penfield. On two hitherto undescribed meteoric stones. — 2. Meteorite from Cape Girardeau, 



Missouri. Amer. Journ. Sci., 3d ser., vol. 32, pp. 229-230. (Analysis.) 



2. 1895: Brezina. Wiener Sammlung, p. 255. 



