'toe Drs. Nceggerath and Bibcliol' on the largest Mass 



tnonia a colourless fluid remained, which on drying left nothing 

 but clear sal ammoniac. The remainder of the powder which 

 was not ignited, was dissolved in nitro-)iiuriatic acid with the 

 aid of heat, when flakes of sulphur were se}iarated from it. A 

 precipitate of graphite could not be discovered, — a proof of the 

 absence of carbon. That a portion of the sulphur was oxidized 

 b}' the nitro-niuriatic acid, was shown by testing the first solu- 

 tion with muriate of barytes. 



6. Although the quantitative definition of the proportion of 

 sulphur is of no particular consequence, for the reasons above 

 specified, yet it appeared of some interest to us not to over- 

 look this particular altogether. For this purpose, 100 grains 

 of the iron were submitted to the action of boiling nitro-mu- 

 riatic acid : but a perfect solution was not attainable, an earthy 

 powder being separated, weighing 1*80 grains, and in which 

 were contained O'^? grains of sulphur. 



It is beyond a doubt that this earthy part proceeded from 

 some slag which had not been driven off", but still remained in 

 the iron, in the pores before alluded to ; for the former piece, to 

 which the acid was gi'adually added, left no earthy sediment. 

 This was, however, of a close texture ; whereas the piece on 

 which the last experin)ent was tiied was very spongy, and 

 plainly showed the scoria, with which many of the pores were 

 filled up. On this account the earthy residuum was not ana- 

 lysed. 



From the solution thus obtained the sulphuric acid was 

 precipitated by muriate of barytes. The sulphate of barytes, 

 washed and dried, weighed 18'60 grains, in which the propor- 

 tion of sulphur is 2*57 grains. Add to this the above 0'47 

 grains, and the total is .'i'04 per cent. 



7. It now remained to ascertain the existence of chrome, 

 which John discovei"ed in several meteoric irons *. For this 

 purpose, the above precipitate of oxide of iron obtained by 

 ammonia was washed, till no more re-action on muriate of am- 

 monia was observable in the water, then mixed in a porcelain 

 cup with a sufficient proportion of nitre, and heated till the 

 latter was dissolved. The aqueous solution of the mass neu- 

 tralized by means of nitric acid had not a yellow colour, 

 and no orange-yellow precipitate was occasioned by adding 

 proto-nitrate of mercury. Another quantity of the oxide of 

 iron, heated in a platinum crucible with carbonate of soda, 

 gave as little indication of the presence of chromic acid. This 

 mass of meteoric iron, therefore, contains no chrome. As 

 the aqueous solution had not a green tinge, but was quite co- 



• See liis Cliciiilachr Sc/nif/cii, liook vi. p. 2d2. 



lourless, 



