Prof. Berzelius on Meteoric Stones. 435 



ret of iron, but chiefly of the deutoxide of ii'on {oxide ferroso- 

 fetriqtie). This stone when treated with water afforded 

 some organic matter, and 10 per cent, of a salt which con- 

 tained no iron, being a mixture of the sulphates of nickel, 

 magnesia, soda, potash, and lime, with a trace of sulphate of 

 ammonia. The meteorite deprived of its soluble constituents 

 and dried at 212° Fahr., was heated to redness in a small di- 

 stillatory apparatus, and the disengaged gas passed into an in- 

 verted flask filled with lime-water. This operation afforded. 



Black residue 88-146 



Gray-brown sublimate •O^'l- 



Carbonic acid 4*328 



Water 6-582 



138*2 parts of the black residue gave by analysis, 



Silica 43-15 



Magnesia 30-70 



Lime -32 



Protoxide of ii'on 40-11 



Oxide of nickel 1-90 



Protoxide of manganese -36 



Alumina 3*25 



Chromium and iron -87 



Oxide of tin mixed with copper 1-10 



Insoluble carbonaceous residue 12-00 



Loss 4-44 



138-20 

 The insoluble carbonaceous residue was composed of 



Carbon 2-586 



Chromium mixed with oxide of tin -525 



Magnesia -500 



Protoxide of iron 2-660 



Oxide of nickel -550 



Alumina -250 



Oxide of tin -200 



Silica , 4-620 



It contained no liuie : the magnesia was mixed with a trace 

 of protoxide of manganese, and the oxide of nickel widi a trace 

 of cobalt. It is therefore evident that the Alais meteorite is 

 not of the same nature as the foregoing ones. Neither can it 

 be considered as merely a lump of earth. The presence of 

 metallic iron and its sulphuret, and of the oxides of nickel, 

 cobalt, tin, copper, and chromium, which occur in it, proves 

 that this earth lias been formed from the usual meteoric mass, 

 which was in this place chiefly composed of meteoric olivine. 

 3 F 2 



