Analysis of Meteoric Iron from Tennessee. 357 
addition of water brought flocks of silicic acid into view. The 
results of this analysis give 
Tron, - - - - - - 93.80 
wa. - teers, 3) 
Carbon, es with, grains of iron 0.10 
Diearie and nickel alloy, 
Oxygen, sulphate of iron, sulphur, 1.44 
moisture and loss, i 
— 100.00 
Charleston, February 9, 1842. Lan 
Since my return to New Haven, I have paid some attention to 
another specimen of meteoric iron from the same mass with the 
above, and which was kindly afforded me by Dr. Troost. On 
breaking it to obtain a fresh fracture, the regular crystalline struc- 
ture showed itself on the largest scale. 'The clean surfaces were 
intersected by layers of brilliant magnetic iron-pyrites, varying 
in thickness from one sixteenth to one fourth of an inch, whereby 
a series of trihedral and rhombohedral areas of various sizes were 
produced. These regularly inclosed spaces were mostly ‘black, 
from the diffusion of a sooty form of carbon between the plates 
of the meteoric iron. The contrast between the areas and the 
Separating layers of pyrites was consequently rendered more stri- 
king. Besides the distribution of the pyrites in plates or veins, 
it also occurs in balls and almond-shaped masses, sometimes half 
an inch or more, in thickness. The structure of these is eoncen- 
trically laminar, the lamin being often separated by iron and 
carbon. ‘The pyrites forms nearly one sixth of the mass. Dr. 
Troosr presented me also with several loose balls of the shape of 
the pyrites masses, which to the eye seem composed of little else: 
than carbon, concerning which a few remarks will presently be 
Subjoined. None of these balls. are found imbedded in the speci- 
» Men Iam more particularly describing. 
If we except the bright projecting edges of the pepritie veins, 
thie. Widmanstittian figures produced by etching with dilute 
nitric acid on polished surfaces in directions of cleavage in this 
iron, are by no means striking. Little channels and waving strie, 
bright at bottom and dull at top, are indeed brought into view ; 
but these are so minute and irregular as to require the use of 
* 
