which fell near Adair, in the County of Limerick. 19 



avoirdupois, its shape that of an irregular parallelepiped, and it is covered exter- 

 nally with a thin fused crust, of a dark colour, and sufficiently hard to strike fire 

 with steel. When broken, the interior exhibits a pale yellow or greyish colour, 

 and the surface of the fracture presents, particularly when examined with a lens, 

 a number of metallic points, and two or three minute particles of what would 

 appear to be iron pyrites. Its specific gravity is subject to variation, no doubt 

 because of the metallic constituents being dispersed unequably throughout the 

 mass. Thus, the portion first examined had a specific gravity of 4.230, while 

 the density of another fragment of the stone reached but 3.621. When pre- 

 sented by any of its faces to a horizontal needle, attraction always took place, 

 showing that it is susceptible of magnetism, but destitute of any permanent 

 polarity. 



By a number of preliminary experiments, the particulars of which it is not 

 necessary to detail here, it was ascertained that the stone was composed of the 

 following proximate constituents : — 



1st. Native iron alloyed with nickel and cobalt. 



2nd. Sulphuret of iron, soluble in muriatic acid. 



3rd. Chrome iron ore. 



4th. An earthy, or more probably two earthy minerals, composed of silex, 

 magnesia, protoxide of iron, with traces of alumen, lime, and the oxide of 

 manganese. 



It was not examined for an alkali. 



The quantative analysis was conducted as follows : — 



Two hundred grains were reduced to a fine powder, and then treated with nitro- 

 muriatlc acid, which dissolved the iron with the copious evolution of nitric oxide, 

 and at the same time developed sulphur and gelatinous silex ; the former pro- 

 ceeding from pyrites, and the latter from the matrix of the stone. When, by the 

 repeated additions of fresh portions of aqua regia, and a prolonged digestion, the 

 sulphur was altogether acidified, the whole was evaporated to dryness, to render 

 the silex insoluble, again acidulated with muriatic acid, and finally, distilled water 

 being previously added, thrown upon a double filter. The matters detained by 

 this were then repeatedly washed, by which the 200 grains of meteorite under 

 experiment were resolved into a soluble portion (A), and an insoluble portion (B.) 

 To the solution (A) chloride of barium was added, as long as there was any pre- 



- D 2 



