SIDEROLITE. 65 



masses exist "wluch properly should come under the species siderolite. How- 

 ever, it is an open question, and it will probably remain so until these 

 dejiosits can be studied with the view of ascertaining the flicts bearing upon 

 their origin, unbiassed bj- any preconceived theories of that origin. 



The native iron found in Greenland may properly be mentioned here, 

 as it is possibly a portion of the earth's metallic core brought to the surface 

 by the associated basalt. The iron is in large masses associated with basaltic 

 rocks, as well as in fine grains intimately mixed with the basalt itself and 

 taking the place of the ordinary iron ores that generally occur in that rock. 

 It occurs with schreibersite, pyrrhotite (troilite) graphite, and magnetite, the 

 same as native iron commonly does in meteorites. On etching, the Wid- 

 mannstattian figures are produced, and thus this iron shows characters that 

 have usually been regarded as exclusively belonging to meteoric irons. 

 These figures are produced even on the little grains, six to seven millimeters 

 in diameter, occurring in the basalt. Whether the Greenland iron came from 

 the interior of the earth as metallic iron, as the writer thinks most probable, 

 or was produced by the reducing agency of carbon on some ores of iron, as 

 maintained by Steenstrup and Smith, there appears at present no doubt that 

 it is of terrestrial origin. 



Of the large number of metallic siderolites that have been described, 

 but very few arc known to be of meteoric origin, only some seven having 

 been seen to fall ; while the localities in which so many occur — in moun- 

 tainous districts, and in regions in which eruptive action has been intense 

 — are such that in regard to many, doubt must exist regarding their cos- 

 mic origin.* Indeed, if they are truly of meteoric origin, there is a most 

 remarkable concurrence of localities in which telluric iron would natui"ally 

 occur, if at all, and the places in which iron in relatively large amounts 

 has fallen. 



It would seem that chemical analysis should not be made the sole judge 

 regarding the origin of these numerous supposed meteorites. It would 

 appear to be necessary that a petrographical or geological study of the 

 localities in which these bodies are found should be made ; and they ought 

 to be regarded as doubtful meteorites, unless the circumstances of their 

 occurrence preclude their terrestrial origin. That no attempt has been 

 made, as a rule, to ascertain the origin of these nuisses of iron, beyond 

 chemical tests, will be seen from the following: — 



* The coudltions under wlucli the Baliia siderolite was found renders it not improbable that this is of 

 similar origin with the Ovifak iron. See A. P. Moruay, Phil. Trans., 181C, pp. 270-2S5. 



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