410 Mhce//<nieaHs Intelligence. 



thinks, in the bowels of the earth, by currents of air of which 

 we know little or nothing. 



In consequence of this action of the air on waters of this 

 kind, it happens sometimes that a water decidedly sulphureous 

 at its source, ceases to be so at a little distance from it ; de- 

 pendent on the strength of the water, and the means it has of 

 getting air. In those cases, the previous sulphureous state of the 

 water may be deduced from the disengagement of pure nitrogen, 

 or containing very little oxygen, and from certain glairy appear- 

 ances which are exhibited by those waters. 



M. Anglada also remarks, that in many waters containing 

 carbonic acid, abundance of nitrogen is found, and he sug- 

 gests, that probably the air may act in them on some car- 

 bonaceous matters, giving rise to carbonic acid and nitro- 

 gen at the same time. It is also remarked in the conclusions 

 attached to this paper, and which being given above, need not 

 be repeated, that the change takes place at all temperatures, and 

 that if nitrogen is not found in every sulphurous water, it is in 

 all those containing a hydro-sulphuretted alkali. — Ann. de 

 Chirn., vol. xviii. p. 113. 



5. On Meteoric Iron, and the Masses supposed to be such. — In the 

 year 1810, whilst examining a specimen of graphite from Sax- 

 ony, Mr. J. F. John discovered nickel in it, and afterwards ascer- 

 tained the presence of cobalt in a mass of iron, similar to that of 

 Pallas, but found in an old collection. These circumstances led 

 him to consider that the opinion generally entertained of some 

 characters of meteoric iron, or meteorolites, were incorrect. It 

 has been assumed that any stones or pieces of irori, supposed to 

 be meteoric, and containing nickel, to the exclusion of all other 

 metals, were certainly of the origin supposed. The uncertainty 

 of this test, and the remembrance that M. Laugier had disco- 

 vered chromium in some aiirolites, and also that the occurrence 

 of this metal had been proposed as'a test of the meteoric origin of 

 stones, &c., induced M. John again to analyze portions of the 

 large masses of iron considered as meteoric, and also portions 

 of iron taken by the magnet from meteorolites. The following 

 are the results of these analyses : 



Iron of Hamboldt. 



91.5 

 6.5 

 2 



trace. 

 



100 100 100 



