214 Prof. Woliler on the Composition of the Cape Meteorite. 



in oxygen it burnt at once to a light brown, with evolution 

 of carbonic acid gas, the quantity of which was measured, and 

 by that means the per-centage of cai'bon determined. The pre- 

 caution was taken of separating the sulphurous acid, which was 

 formed at the same time, fi'om the carbonic acid by passing the 

 gaseous product through a long tube filled with peroxide of lead, 

 and thence through baryta water and solid moist hydrate of pot- 

 ash, both weighed. As soon as the oxygen, which was absolutely 

 pure, came into contact with the pulverized stone at a low red 

 heat, the formation of carbonic acid evinced itself by causing a 

 dense precipitate in the baryta water. In this manner it ap- 

 peared that the stone contained 1 "67 per cent, of carbon, without 

 reckoning that in the above-mentioned hydrocarbon which had 

 been previously dissolved out by means of alcohol. 



During this combustion it was remarkable how much water 

 made its appearance, and this though the pulverized stone had 

 previously been dried for some time at a temperatm'e of 100° C. 

 At the same time a slight crystalline sublimate was formed, which 

 gave the reactions of sulphuric acid, and not less distinctly those 

 of ammonia. It must for the present remain undetermined 

 whether this water and ammonia were original constituents of 

 the stone, or were formed from its elements, or whethei", finally, 

 the stone, by means of the carbon it contained, and of its loose 

 earthy condition similar to clay, merely took them from the atmo- 

 sphere. Faraday also found 6"5 per cent, of water in the stone, 

 but he has not stated at what temperature he dried it. 



Hydrochloric acid dissolves from the stone much magnesia 

 and protoxide of iron. Only a very slight evolution of hydrogen 

 accompanies the action of this reagent, showing that very little 

 metaUic iron can be present, — a result confirmed by the feeble 

 action of the stone on the magnetic needle. Not the slightest 

 trace of sulphuretted hydrogen is evolved during the process, 

 showing that the sulphur, which analysis proves to be present, 

 is not in the form of sulphide of iron or of magnetic pyrites. 

 On the other hand, no iron pyrites can be present, since a por- 

 tion of stone heated to a bright-red heat in a glass tube, does 

 not give out the least trace of sulphur. If, however, it be heated 

 in the air, a strong smell of sulphurous acid is immediately ob- 

 served. This behaviour seems to show that the sulphur present 

 must be in combination with nickel ; but the total quantity of 

 sulphur, 3'38 per cent., is much too great to form either the 

 proto- or bisulphide with the observed quantity of nickel, 1'30 

 per cent. ; so we must infer that the stone contains some com- 

 bination analogous to sulphide of nickel and iron or magnetic 

 pyrites, the sulphide of iron of the latter being represented by 

 sulphide of nickel. If a combination of NiS + Fe^ S^ be assumed. 



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