METEORITES OF NORTH AMERICA. 151 



This explains the failure of various attempts to cut off a layer of it, although it was taken for thin purpose to the 

 arsenal, where all attempts proved futile, and only succeeded after spoiling several files, in mating a dent of a very 

 few millimeters in depth in its surface. 



The tenacity of the Cuba iron preserves a relation to its hardness. It gives sparks with steel, a property not com- 

 mon among aerolites of this kind, and only after repeated and strenuous exertions was it possible to break off small 

 fragments with a heavy hammer on an anvil. The exterior rust crust does not have this property, but is breakable 

 and even fragile. 



Likewise, the fragments appear to have been some time separated and oxidation to have penetrated from the 

 exterior to the interior on account of the spongy structure. The fragments show malleability under a hammer, and 

 can be powdered only with difficulty. The density found is between that of Claiborne, determined by Rumler as 

 6.82 and that of Rokitzan, Bohemia, which was found to be 6.005. That of our meteorite is 6.44. As would be ex- 

 pected of a mass composed exclusively of iron, this meteorite is strongly magnetic without distinction of poles. 

 Polished with emery to a smooth surface and submitted to the action of nitric acid for some minutes the Widmann- 

 statten figures are produced like those of Charcas, with nodular forms of schreibersite. Submitted to the action of 

 aqua regia for some days it largely dissolved, forming a reddish liquid and a black residue. The solution tested, 

 according to the method of Will, showed only iron and nickel. The insoluble portion deflagrated with niter and car- 

 bonates of soda and potash, and treated with boiling water, gave, with ammonium molybdate, a greenish yellow 

 precipitate, showing the presence of phosphorus in considerable quantity. The soluble portion treated with hydro- 

 chloric acid and an analysis by the system of Will gave iron and nickel. A portion of the meteorite deflagrated with 

 niter and potash and treated with water gave, with barium chloride, an abundant white precipitate insoluble in acids, 

 which is barium sulphate and which shows the presence of sulphur. The green coloration produced before deflagra- 

 tion shows manganese as does also the violet tint produced by the nitric acid solution of the meteorite in the presence 

 of lead oxide. Submitted to the action of aqua regia for a week 0.4897 grams gave a residue of 0.274 grams, showing 

 the following composition: 



Soluble portion 94. 41 



Insoluble 5. 59 



100.00 



Separating in the soluble portion the iron and nickel by addition of ammonia in excess in presence of sal ammoniac, 

 the following result was obtained: 



Iron 96.76 



Nickel 3.24 



100.00 



From the preceding it appears that this meteorite is composed of a mass of nickeliferous iron with double phos- 

 phide of iron and nickel (schreibersite), and probably some troilite. 



The specimen seems to be almost wholly preserved in Madrid. 



BIBLIOGRAPHY. 



1. 1872: DON JOSE MARIA SOLANO T EULATE. Noticia sobre el hierro meteorico de la Isla de Cuba. Ann. Soc. 



Esp. Hist. Nat., vol. 1, p. 183. 



2. 1892: GREDILLA. Meteorite?, pp. 99-101. 



CUERNAVACA. 

 State of Morelos, Mexico. 



Latitude 18 56' X., longitude 99 10 7 W. (Ward). 

 Iron. Fine octahedrite (Of), of Brezina. 

 Mentioned, 1889. 

 Weight about 35 kgs. (77 Ibs.). 



Cuernavaca is first mentioned by Castillo l who states that in the National Museum in 

 Mexico is a fragment of an iron meteorite which was found on the way from Mexico to Cuerna- 

 vaca. Fletcher 2 repeats Castillo's statement and adds that Cuertavaca is 50 miles frorn 

 Xiquipilco and 40 miles from the city of Mexico. He thinks, therefore, that Cuernavaca was 

 from the Toluca valley. Brezina 3 and Berwerth simply repeat the opinion of Fletcher. As 

 a matter of fact, Toluca and Cuernavaca are irons of very different character. The first de- 

 tailed description was given by Ward 4 as follows: 



The mass was entire, never having had any further than a minute chisel chipping, the common way of Mexican 

 prospectors, who test all troven metal masses in their search for silver. The length of the mass was 480 mm. (about 



