On certain Stony and Metalline Suljlances. 49 



'yhefe facets are fituated on the fame fide, and are fcparated 



by parallel ridges. 



Inclination of c to g 116° 33' 54" 



of c to f 153 26 6 



ofgtof 143 7 48. 



IX. Experiments ami Obfervations on certain Stony and 

 Metalline Suhflances which at different Times are /aid to 

 have fallen on the Earth ; alfo on various Kinds of Native 

 Iron. By Edward Howard, Efq. F.R.S. 



[Concluded from p. 336 of our laft Volume.] 



T> 



H ^ connexion which naturally exifts between one mafs 

 of native iron and another, immediately turns our attention 

 to the native iron in Siberia, defcribed by Pallas; and this, 

 we are told, the Tartars confulered as a facred relic, which 

 had dropped from heaven. The nickel found in the one mafs, 

 and the traditioi^ary hiltory of the "other, not to compare 

 the globular bodies of flone from the Benares with the glo- 

 bular concavities and the earthy matter of the Siberian iron, 

 tend to the formation of a chain between fallen (tones and 

 all kinds of native iron. How far any real affinity exifts be- 

 tween thefe feveral fubftances, very obliging friends have af- 

 forded me an opportunity to form fome judgment. I am 

 indebted to Mr. Greville and Mr. Halchett for portions of 

 almoft every known native iron ; and the count de Bournon 

 has done me the favour particularly to defcribe them as 

 follows. 



Defcriptvm of various Kinds of Native Iron. By the Count 

 de Bournon. 



The great number of particles of iron, in a perfedlly me- 

 tallic ftate, contained in the ftone from Bohemia, and the 

 faid particles being fo near each other, naturally lead to 

 fomc refieclions rcfpedlingthe exiftenceof native iron, which, 

 by many mineralogifts, is (till confidered as problematical. 

 Let us fuppofe for a moment, that thefe particles of iron were^ 

 to approach dill more nearly to each other, fo as abfolutely 

 to come into contact, and in that manner to form a kind of 

 chain, folded upon ilfclf in the interior part of the lubftancc, 

 and leaving a great number of cavities between the links of 

 the chain fo folded. Let us then fuppofe, that the earihy 

 fubRance with which thefe caviiies are filled, being very 

 porous, and having but a fmall degree of confidence, Ihould 

 (as may happen by a variety of caufes) be dtllroyed. Ii \i 



Vol. XIV. No. 53. D P^'"* 



