Native Iron from Canaan, Conn. 155 
lightning. Whether these phenomena are connected with 
the existence of a large mass of native Iron, -as yet undis- 
covered, 1 leave for others to determine ; the facts, however, 
may be relied on. 
Physical and Chemical properties of the native Tron 0 
of 
Canaan, ascertained in the Laboratory of Yale College, by 
Mr. C. Ed 
SHEPARD, at the request of the ttor.—In 
its first appearance to the eye, the native sige of Canaan re- 
sembles highly crystalline plumbago ; being every where in- 
vested with a thin coating of this mineral, which completely 
defends it from oxidation. Its structure is visibly crystalline : 
separating with considerable readiness into pyramidal masses, 
and more usually into oblique tetrahedra. This cleavage, 
homered never takes place without the intervention of 
thin scales of plumbago. It falls considerably short of 
meteoric Tron in malleability, toughness, and flexibility ; as 
well as in the silvery whiteness of its lustre, which, in part, 
is no doubt due to the plumbago diffused through it. In 
hardness and magnetic properties, it does not differ percepti- 
bly from pure Iron. Its specific gravity varies from 5.95, 
to 6.72. 
Intermingled with it, occasionally, is native Steel. One: 
angular fragment, weighing about eight grains, was perfect- 
ly brittle, sufficiently hard to scratch glass, and possessed of 
the characteristic granular structure, and silvery white color 
of steel. With the microscope ‘no scales of plumbago were - 
as : : : : i 
an evident qHantiy, ¢ of black, carbonaceous matter, upon the 
surface of the solution. 
A fragment of she native Iron, | grains, was 
weighing 100 
dissolved in dilute nitro muriatic acid. The plambago attach- - 
ed toit being left behind, was separated, and found to weigh 6 
grains. To the solution was added, in ning perfectly 
caustic liquid ammonia, by means of w e Iron was 
thrown down. The ammoniacal pil Reha was then examin- 
h: pres- 
0 remain for cea days, which leads to the conclusion, 
that our sha is unalloyed by any metal. En this _re- 
spect, therefore, it differs from the native Iron of Saxony, 
in which Klaproth found, lead 6.0, and copper 1.50. The 
Tron being washed and heated, weighed 127 grains; which 
