344 ACCOUNT AND DESCRIPTION 



to have been erroneously expressed. After remarking that all 

 chemists who have examined meteoric stones, "have obtained 

 similar results" he enumerates the principles which have been 

 discovered in them, and says they are, " siiex, iron, manganese, 

 sulphur, nickel, with a few accidental traces of lime and alu- 

 mine." It seems plain that manganese has here been careless- 

 ly written instead of magnesia, for, neither Mr. Howard, nor 

 any of the able chemists who succeeded him in the examina- 

 tion of meteoric stones, before M. Saugier, ever found manga- 

 nese, but constantly magnesia, and as magnesia is not mention- 

 ed at all by this latter chemist, I think it plain, that mag- 

 nesia is intended by him, where he writes manganese. 



Dismissing this for an inadvertency, we- will therefore return 

 to chrome. 



I have carefully repeated and somewhat varied and extend- 

 ed the experiments of Saugier on the discovery of chrome in 

 meteoric stones. 



1. A strong solution of caustic potash was boiled for an hour 

 on a portion of the stone in powder, the fluid was filtered; it 

 had a slightly yellowish colour. 



2. Nitric acid was added, somewhat in excess, in order that 

 the potash might all be saturated. 



3. Nitrat of mercury, recently formed, without heat, was 

 added, but there was no precipitate whatever; at this stage of 

 the process, Saugier threw down a red, orange coloured -preci- 

 pitate, or chromate of mercury. 



4. A small portion of the stone was now fused with pure 

 potash, in a silver crucible, and maintained for some time in a 

 red heat; every thing soluble was then taken up by water, the 

 fluid was filtered, and had a green colour. 



5. Nitric acid was added, a little in excess, and then nitrat 

 of mercury, as before, but no precipitate ensued, these experi- 

 ments were several times repeated, and with the same success. 



6. Other portions of the fluid, resulting from the boiling of 

 potash upon the stone, and from its fusion upon it, and subse- 

 quent solution, were now mixed with the nitrat of mercury, 

 without the previous addition of nitric acid. A copious yel- 

 low precipitate was thrown down, this was heated to ignition 



