from the Desert of Atacama in Peru. £63 



the density of a portion which has been forged into the form 

 of a nail is 7.488. 



To ascertain if the specimen is analogous to meteoric iron 

 in composition, as well as in its appearance, 29.44 grains of it 

 were exposed to the action of nitro-muriatic acid, and were 

 completely dissolved by that menstruum. The solution, after 

 being moderately diluted with cold water, was gradually neu- 

 tralized by the bi-carbonate of potash, with the view of preci- 

 pitating the iron, and retaining the cobalt and nickel in solu- 

 tion by the excess of carbonic acid. 



The hydrated red oxide of iron, after being collected on a 

 filter, and carefully washed, was taken up by oxalic acid, 

 which did not leave any residue. It did not therefore contain 

 any nickel or cobalt. 



The solution from which the iron had been removed by the 

 bi-carbonate of potash had a green tint ; and on expelling the 

 free carbonic acid by heat, the hydrous carbonate of nickel 

 subsided. The precipitation was completed by the aid of pure 

 potash. The precipitate, after being washed, was treated by 

 a solution of oxalic acid, and was thus converted into the gra- 

 nular oxalate of nickel. The acidulous solution of oxalic acid 

 did not strike a blue colour with the ferrocyanate of potash, 

 nor yield a precipitate when neutralized with ammonia, and 

 consequently was free from iron. 



The oxalate of nickel was dissolved in pure ammonia ; and 

 after it had separated from the liquid by the gradual dissipa- 

 tion of the alkali, the remaining liquid had a pale pink colour, 

 and on evaporation yielded a minute residue, which, when 

 fused with borax, yielded a blue bead. It was therefore oxa- 

 late of cobalt. 



The oxalate of nickel was decomposed by heat, and yielded 

 4.174 grains of the protoxide of nickel ; equivalent, according 

 to the atomic tables of Dr Thomson, to 3.1 92 grains, or 10.84, 

 per cent, of metallic nickel. The total quantity of cobalt is 

 less than 1 per cent. 



I do not rely with confidence on the numerical result of the 

 analysis ; for while the complete separation of cobalt and nick- 

 el from each other is attended, as is well known to analysts, 

 with considerable difficulty, I was obliged by circumstances 



