from Claiborne, Clarke County, Alabama. 353 



The presence of chrome and of manganese having been in- 

 dicated, I took a separate portion of the meteorite, weighing 

 10 grains, dissolved it in hydro-chloric acid, adding sufficient 

 tartaric acid to retain the oxides in solution, neutralized the 

 acid by ammonia, and precipitated the iron and nickel, by 

 means of a current of hydro-sulphuric acid gas ; after filtration, 

 I evaporated the solution to dryness and burned off the tar- 

 taric acid in a small platina capsule under the muffle, when a 

 small quantity of chromic acid was obtained, which was re- 

 cognised by its characters before the blowpipe; its amount 

 was estimated at 3 per cent. The manganese is also esti- 

 mated. 



From the above analyses, it will appear that specimen ] st 

 of the meteoric iron, having a sp. gr. of 5"750, contains in 

 25 grains. 



Metallic iron 16*296 = 65-184. per cent. 



„ nickel 6-927 = 27-708 „ 



And in specimen 2nd, having a sp. gr. of 6*500 in 50 grains 

 we have or in 100 grains. 



Metallic iron 33*280 66*560 



„ nickel 12*354. 24*708 



„ chrome and manganese 1*625 3*24-0 



„ sulphur 2-000 4*000 



„ chlorine '740 1-480 



49*999 99*988 



It will be remarked, that this meteorite contains an unusual 

 proportion of nickel, and that the occurrence of chlorine, in 

 matter of celestial origin, is here noticed for the first time. 



I beg leave therefore to invite chemists to a careful review 

 of meteorites, since the occurrence of chlorine may have been 

 overlooked in former analyses. 



Its occurrence in meteoric matters is a fact of great im- 

 portance, in accounting for their chemical phsenomena, while 

 passing through our atmosphere. 



It must also be remembered, that chloride of iron is readily 

 volatilized at a high temperature, and that it is abundantly 

 exhaled frorn the craters of volcanos, in various parts of our 

 planet. 



Nickel, however, has not to my knowledge been discovered 

 amid volcanic sublimations, but it may be worth while to call 

 the attention of chemists to the subject, that it may be sought 

 for in volcanic craters. 



I am however far from believing that we shall be able to 

 prove that all meteorites originate from volcanic. sublimations, 



Phil. Mag. S. 3. Vol. 13. No. 83. Nov. 1838. 2 A 



