OF A METEORIC STONE. 341 



of sulphur from the proportion of pyrites in the stone; for, there 

 is every reason to believe, that the sulphur exists in no other 

 part of the stone, except the pyrites, and those masses which 

 have proceeded from their decomposition. It is impossible, 

 however, to separate the pyrites from the other parts of the 

 stone, so as to estimate their proportion exactly, but, they evi- 

 dently do not exceed one fifteenth of the whole stone. If 

 therefore the sulphur be estimated at 1, it is probable the esti- 

 mate will not be very erroneous. 



The muriatic solution of the pyrites had a greenish colour; 

 ammonia threw down the iron in a black precipitate, becoming 

 rapidly red, when exposed to the air. The filtered fluid gave 

 no traces of magnesia, when examined with caustic potash, but 

 hidro-sulphuret of ammonia, gave an abundant precipitate of 

 nickel. Hence these pyrites are composed of iron, nickel, 

 and sulphur. Having saved the precipitates, I hope still to ob- 

 tain the proportions of the two former. 



III. The malleable Iron, 



When the stone is pulverized, the magnet takes up, usually, 

 more than 40, — I have taken up even 50, but, once, only 23,. 

 This is however, far from being all iron ; there is much adher- 

 ing earthy matter; some adhering pyrites, and, in short, all the 

 principles of the stone adhere. A separate analysis of the at- 

 tractable part gives us nothing different from the results already 

 stated, except an increase in the proportion of metallic matter, 

 and a diminution in that of the earthy principles. The malle- 

 able iron contains nickel equally with that in the pyrites. On 

 the other hand, a separate analysis of the unattractable part, 

 presents no other diversity than a diminution of the metallic, 

 and an increase of the earthy principles. I have separated a 

 piece of malleable iron, so large, that by alternately heating 

 and hammering, it was extended into a bar six tenths of an 

 inch long, and one tenth thick: — another mass was hammered 

 into a plate more than half an inch in diameter. The attracta- 

 ble part of the stone dissolves rapidly in the strong acids; the 

 muriatic and sulphuric, diluted, give abundance of hidrogen gas, 

 partially sulphureted, and nitric acid gives copious fumes of 



