262 MEMOIRS NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, VOL. XIII. 



been cut from one edge, and it is said that the smith broke two chisels in the operation. The fracture is granular, like 

 fine steel, and the cut surface has a silvery appearance; it is malleable and somewhat harder than common bar iron, 

 and, like the latter, it may be wrought into all manner of shapes. This meteorite only came into the professor's hands 

 a few days ago, and, owing to the press of other work, he is able at this time to give nothing more than the result of a 

 partial chemical analysis. It is destitute of stony matter, and the principal element is iron; next comes nickel; then, 

 in small quantities, cobalt, tin, carbon, phosphorus, and probably a trace of sulphur. Submitted to the action of 

 acids, the Widmannstatten figures are brought out in great perfection. At what time this meteorite fell is not known, 

 but it is hoped that by calling the attention of the citizens of Howard County to the subject we may receive informa- 

 tion regarding its history' which will still further add to its scientific value. 



About a year later an account was published by Smith, 2 as follows: 



The mass of meteoric iron described below possesses peculiar interest from the fact that it was not found on the 

 surface of the ground, but beneath the soil, although not to any very great depth. In 1862, a farmer, Mr. E. Freeman, 

 while excavating a ditch in Howard County, Indiana, struck, at a depth of nearly 2 feet, a hard mass that attracted 

 his attention; and owing to its unusual weight he preserved it. The earth penetrated consisted of stiff clay beneath 

 4 inches of black soil, so that the mass was embedded in the clay. This clay was colored by oxide of iron arising from 

 a Blight decomposition of the surface of the meteorite, the iron being one of those that decompose but slightly from 

 atmospheric agencies. This meteorite was lost sight of for a number of years, having fallen into the hands of those not 

 interested in matters of natural history, and only recently was sent to me for examination. 



The form of the meteorite is an irregular elongated oval, and it has the indentations of the Burface found on" most 

 meteoric irons. Its weight is 4 kg. The alteration at the surface is very slight, considering the length of time it must 

 have remained beneath the soil, and fresh cut surfaces retain perfectly their brightness. The specific gravity is 7.821. 

 The composition of the meteorite is as follows: 



Iron 87. 02 



Nickel 12. 29 



Cobalt 65 



Phosphorus 02 



Copper trace 



99.98 

 A polished surface, when treated with nitric acid or bromine water, does not give the slightest indication of Wid- 

 mannstatten figures so characteristic of most meteoric irons. 



Smith's account will be seen to differ from that of Cox in several important particulars. 

 These include the year of find, the weight, and the absence of Widmannstatten figures. 



In consequence of these contradictory statements, Fletcher leaves the year of discovery 

 doubtful ("1862 or 1870"), and Wulfing mentions the occurrence of two pieces of 4,000 and 

 1,850 grams weight, respectively. 



Cohen 8 remarks that — 



Since, according to Smith, the mass remained unnoticed for several years, it is probable that it was found in 1862 

 by Freeman, while its meteoric nature was discovered in 1870 by Saville. Further, it appears from the agreement of 

 the place of discovery and the manner of the same to consist of one mass; since 4 kg., the weight in round numbers, 

 agrees closely, as to figures with the 4 pounds 1.5 ounces given by Cox, it may be assumed that one or other of the 

 two authors confused pounds and kilograms. 



Meunier 3 supposed that the content of nickel had been placed too low by Smith, and 

 arbitrarily assumed that it approached that of Octibbeha. He combined Kokomo and Octib- 

 beha in one group whose representative should be Octibbeha, consisting of FeNi 2 (with 61.71 

 per cent Ni + Co). He gives the specific gravity as 6.79, which is evidently too low for an alloy 

 so rich in nickel, and can be explained only by hollow spaces, which must be so numerous that 

 they can scarcely escape observation. 



Brezina 4 compared Kokomo with Smithland in 1S85; the groundmass has the same velvety 

 appearance, but materially lighter color. In 1895, e he included Kokomo with the Cape iron 

 and Iquique in a division of hexahedrites distinguished by etching bands and oriented sheen. 



Cohen 7 , 8 described the iron as follows: 



By etching the iron takes on a varnishlike luster like that of Morradal and Smithland, but differs essentially from 

 the latter in the occurrence of uniform parallel etching bands, which are so characteristic of the Cape Iron and Iquique. 

 Two groups of such bands were observed, one of which consists of a band 3.5 mm. wide, upon which at a distance of 

 about. 0.5 mm. upon one side are three fine bands scarcely 0.25 mm. wide, while on the other side only one equally 

 small band is present. * * * The other group makes a band 2 mm. wide, which splits in some places and then 

 unites again. The finer bands also occasionally split up. These stripes are darker or brighter according to the posi- 

 tion of the plate with reference to the light, like the body of the nickel iron, and in a certain position the reflection of 



