NATURAL SCIENCES OF rHILADELPHIA. 103 



ness not bcinr^ excessive ;) it resisted the saw very miuli, wliich rendered the 

 rutting exceedingly tedious, heating the saw to such a degree as to oblige a 

 discontinuance of the operation every four or five minutes, but it was remarka- 

 ble that it did not dull the blade in the least. 



The toughness of the iron was clearly shown when, for the purpose of analy- 

 sis, it was attempted to cut off portions of it with a chisel ; the excessive tough- 

 ness of the iron rendered this very difficult, without the aid of the saw. The 

 resistance of this meteorite to the action of acids was most remarkable. Strong 

 nitric acid did not act upon it in the cold. Moderately dilute sulphuric acid did 

 not act upon it. Strong and boiling hydrochloric acid acted upon it very gradu- 

 ally. 



The above named acids failing to show the slightest trace of the Widmann- 

 stattian figures, a mixture of nitric acid and hydrochloric was used, boiling ; but 

 even after this operation no trace of them could be distinguished. The action 

 of the aqua regia was gradual and peculiar, producing on the polished surface 

 of the meteorite very small holes, varying in size from a pin's point to those as 

 large as a pin's head. From the appearance of the surface of the meteorite, 

 which formed a side of the fissure before described, I hud hoped to obtain by 

 etching beautiful Wi^'mannstilttian figures, as there is on this portion indistinct 

 traces of that which would at first glance be called a crystalline structure. 



The color of the metal is a silvery grey with a pinkish tinge. Its hardness is 

 not excessive, yielding readily to the file. The tensibility, as before mentioned, 

 was very great. The passivity was proved by testing it with a neutral solution 

 of the sulphate of copper. 



The specific gravity at 25° Cels., was found by Dr. F. A. Genth to be 6.854, 

 which is too low, but owing to the numerous fissures through the meteorite 

 filled with liraonite, it was impossible to obtain the exact specific gravity of the 

 metal. I used particular care to obtain a portion free from the flaws, but with- 

 out effect. I take this opportunity to express my thanks to Dr. Genth for allow- 

 ing me the use of his laboratory in making the examination. The following is 

 the re? ult of my analysis : 



1.9421 grammes were dissolved in aqua regia. 



99.19 



The slight loss of eight- tenths of one per cent. I think is owing to some small 

 portions of limonite existing in the minute fissures already mentioned. 



The 0.10 per cent, of phosphorus correspond to 0.64 per cent, of schribersite, 

 (P. Ni2 Fe4 .) 



It was first attempted to dissolve in hydrochloric acid, but the action of the 

 acid, even when boiling, was so very gradual that nitric acid was added. 



I endeavored to separate the nickel and cobalt by Liebig's new method, viz., 

 by precipitating the nickel as a sesqui-oxide, by passing chlorine through an 

 alkaline solution of the two metals in hydrocyanic acid and potash, but it was 

 found not to answer ; the separation was made by his former method by oxide 

 of mercury. 



The composition of this remarkable meteorite is in itself sufficiently interest- 

 ing for mineralogists, without any attempts to account for its origin, either ter- 

 restrial or celestial. We must remain in doubt as to the exact locality where 

 it was originally found, as it may have been carried by the Indians from a dis- 

 tance to be entombed in this mound, and it may have been considered by them 



1857.] 



