ORDER IX. OCTAHEDRAL 1110X. 443 



OBSERVATIONS. 



1. The masses of octahedral Iron, from Agrani, Siberia, 

 and Mexico, analysed by KLAPHOTH, have yielded 



Iron 96-50 98-50 96'75. 



Nickel 3-50 1-50 3-25. 



It contains sometimes a larger proportion of nickel. Pro- 

 fessor STROMEYER has found some cobalt in the variety 

 from the Cape. The octahedral Iron is infusible before 

 the blowpipe, soluble in acids, and resembling pure iron in 

 most of its properties. 



2. The octahedral Iron is found in detached masses of 

 various sizes on the surface of the earth. It enters into 

 the composition of several kinds of meteoric stones, along 

 with Iron-pyrites, with which it has been originally pro- 

 duced. Those large masses, which are found without earthy 

 admixtures, must yet be supposed to have had the same 

 origin. It is not decided whether the terrestrial native 

 Iron is a natural production. It agrees pretty nearly in 

 regard to several of its properties with the meteoric Iron. 

 The variety from Kamsdorf in Saxony, besides 92-50 of 

 iron, yielded to KLAPROTH 6-0 of lead, and 1-5 copper. 

 The native steel from La Bouiche in France, engaged in 

 an iron-slag, appears to be of a secondary formation, owing 

 to the combustion of a coal seam. 



3. Among the most remarkable of the masses found on 

 the surface of the earth, we notice that discovered by PAL- 

 LAS in Siberia, which contains crystals and grains of pris- 

 matic Chrysolite ; that discovered by Don RUBIN DE CE- 

 LIS in the district of Chaco-Gualamba in South America, 

 one of the largest known ; that of Elbogen in Bohemia, 

 and that of Agram in Croatia, which, according to credible 

 Avitnesses, was seen falling from the sky in two pieces. 

 Many masses are scattered over the continent of North 

 America, as in Louisiana, and still farther north, in the 

 countries inhabited by the Esquimaux; several masses 

 have also been found in Africa, as on the Senegal river, and 

 near the Cape of Good Hope. The greater part of the 



