8 MEMOIRS NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. [%'ol.xiv. 



in the case of the older falls, the absurdly high price demanded by holders of the material 

 necessitated a lower limit, which, however, was rarely less than 10 grams. In all cases the 

 meteorite was made the subject of careful microscopic study, and the purpose ever held in 

 view of not merely ascertaining the presence or absence of any constituent but of relegating 

 the same, as well, to its proper source. 



n. ELEMENTS DOUBTFULLY REPORTED OR OF UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE. 



Before discussing the results it will be well to repeat what was given in the preliminary 

 paper regarding the previously reported occurrences of the unusual elements. 



Arsenic. — The first determination of arsenic in meteorites of which I have record is that 

 of Karl Rural er who, in 1S40, reported <* getting distinct arsenical reactions from the olivine- 

 like mineral occurring in both the Atacama, Bolivia, and the KJrasnojarsk, Siberia, pallasites. 

 It is difficult to detect possible sources of error in Rumler's method as given. The fact, however, 

 that no one has since been able to corroborate his work would suggest some possible impurity 

 in his reagents. SiUiman and Hunt also reported traces of arsenic (and copper) in the iron 

 of Cambria, N. Y.* The only other reported occurrence of the element known to me is that 

 of Fischer and Duflos in the Bramiau iron.'' This determination can to-day scarcely be 

 considered satisfactory. The solution remaining after the precipitation of the copper was 

 evaporated, the dry residue mixed with soda and heated before the blowpipe; result, a garUc 

 odor. In stating the analysis, copper, manganese, arsenic, lime, magnesium, sihcon, carbon, 

 chromium, and sulphur are all thrown together as amounting to 2.072 per cent. 



Antimony. — Traces of this metal were reported by Trottarelli iii the stone of CoUescipoli. 

 I have not seen the original paper, but an abstract by Max Bauer <* gives, among other con- 

 stituents, lead, antimony, tin, and lithia, as occiirring in traces, palladium to the amount of 

 0.7745 per cent, and soda (Na,0) to the unheard of amount of 10.386 per cent (!). I have there- 

 fore a natural feeling of skepticism regarding the results as a whole. (See new analyses, p. 14.) 



Copper. — Copper in amounts from traces up to weighable quantities has been reported by 

 such authorities as Rammelsberg, Rose, J. L. Smith, and many others, and should be removed 

 from the doubtful list. 



Gold. — Gold, so far as I am aware, was first plausibly suggested as a meteoric constituent 

 by A. Liversidge,* who thought to find it in an iron from Boogaldi, New South Wales. Not- 

 withstanding the fact that the work of Prof. Liversidge seems to have been performed with 

 proper care, there exists a lingering doubt in the minds of many as to the actual occurrence of 

 this element as an original constituent of the hon. It is to be noted, however, that more recent 

 investigations by J. C. H. Mingaye are confirmatory.^ 



Lead. — Ti'ottarelli, whose analysis is above referred to, reported traces of lead in the Col- 

 lescipoli stone. R. P. Greg also reported e native lead lining the cavities in an iron from the 

 Tarapaca desert of Chile. J. L. Smith, however, concluded from his own examination * that 

 the metal was altogether foreign to the stone when it fell. 



Lithia. — Lithia was reported by Story Maskelyne ' to the amount of 0.016 per cent in the 

 enstatite and m traces in the augitic constituent of the Busti stone. J. L. Smith likewise re- 

 ported^ traces of lithia in the stones of Waconda, Kans., and BishopviUe, S. C. Others report 

 it determined by spectroscopic methods. 



Platinum, palladium, and indium. — Platinum, palladium, and iridium come in for occa- 

 sional reference as meteoric constituents, but almost invariably in amounts too small to weigh, 



o Pogg. Ann. Phys. Chem., vol. 49, 1840, p. 591. 



6 Amer. Journ. Sci., vol. 2, 1846, p. 376. 



c Pogg. Ann. Phys. Chem., vol. 72, 1847, p. 479. 



d Neues Jahrb. tiir Min., etc., 1891, vol. 2, p. 238. 



« Joum. Proc. Eoy. Soo. of. N. S. Wales, vol. 36, 1902. 



/ Records Geol. Sun-. N. S. Wales, vol. 7, 1904, p. 306. 



s London, Edinburgh & Dublin Philos. Mag., vol. 10, 1855, p. 12. .\Iso Amer. Journ. Sci., vol. 23, 1S57, p. 118. 



» .\mer. Joum. Sci., vol. 49, 1870, p. 305. 



• Philos. Trans. Eoy. Soc., vol. 160, 1870, pp. 206-7. 



i Amer. Joum. Sci., vol. 13, 1877, p. 212, and vol. 38, 18<i9, p. 226. 



