346 MEMOIRS NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, VOL. XTTT. 



BIBLIOGRAPHY. 



1. 1894: BEMENT. Third rough list (MS). C. S. B. June, 1894. 



2. 1897: WDLMNO. Meteoriten in Sammlungen, p. 404. 



OSCDRO MOUNTAIN. 



Socorro County, New Mexico. 



Latitude 33 W N., longitude 106 35' W. 



Iron. Coarse octahedrite (Og) of Brezina. 



Pound 1895; described 1897. 



Three masses of 3.5, 3.25, and 1.25 pounds weight (1,467, 1,226, and 676 gins). Total, 3.4 kgn. (8.5 Ibe.). 



This meteorite has been described by Hills 1 as follows: 



The Oscuro Mountain meteorite, here described, is the third independent occurrence of the kind recently announced 

 from south central New Mexico. 



The Oscuro iron waa discovered near the eastern base of the Oscuro Mountains, a north and south range lying about 

 40 miles west of the Sacramento Range and parallel with it. Nothing is known as to the date of the fall, though the 

 fresh, lively appearance of the surfaces does not suggest a great lapse of time. 



For the first intimation of its existence I am indebted to Mr. H. A. Gross, superintendent of the New Mexico 

 Development Co., who, suspecting its true character, succeeded in securing a small piece which he submitted to me 

 while on a professional trip into that country about a year ago. An effort was then made to obtain possession of 

 the balance of the find and Mr. P. Nicol, an intelligent employee of the company, was instructed to proceed to Three 

 Rivers and if possible negotiate for the remainder. In this he was finally successful. 



Owing to pressing engagements I could not personally investigate the history of the find and requested Mr. Gross 

 to do so. As I have been intimate with him for many years I have the utmost confidence in the results of his careful 

 inquiry into the matter. Writing under date of July 23, 1896, he says: 



"The discovery was made by Phillippe Montoya, a Mexican sheep herder living at Three Rivers, Lincoln County, 

 New Mexico, on or about December 10, 1895. It consisted of three irregular-shaped pieces weighing about 3.5, 3.25, 

 and 1.25 pounds, respectively, the small piece having been subsequently cut in two and somewhat damaged. 



"The locality where it was found is in the eastern foothills of the Oscuro Mountains, in Socorro County, New 

 Mexico, at a point on the south side of a small conical hill composed of gypsum and limestone. This hill is readily 

 distinguishable from others in the vicinity in that it has a considerably broken-up limestone cap, about 150 feet across 

 and nearly round and flat on the top. It lies about 2.5 miles west of the Lincoln County malapais and about 10 miles 

 due west from the " bar W ' ' ranch of the Carrizoza Cattle Co. The hill is also somewhat marked by considerable shallow 

 Jigging and prospecting done by the finder in search for more of the material which he supposed was native silver. 



"The pieces were found on the south hillside about 2 feet, 3 feet, and 5.5 feet apart in a straight line in nearly an 

 east and west direction the largest piece being below and the smallest piece above and about 20 feet down from the 

 top of the hill. In conjunction with Mr. P. Nicol, who was wifh me and had been there before with the finder, I looked 

 very closely around in the vicinity for any more but was unable to find anything that might have any relation to the 

 meteorite. 



"The first piece was obtained by me on December 15, 1895. On.March 27, 1896, Mr. Nicol secured the two large 

 complete specimens from Phillippe Montoya himself. About May 1, 1896, Mr. Nicol got the remaining piece. I 

 consider we have it all, as represented by the Mexican who was strongly tempted for any more he might find. Neither 

 of the small pieces had been in possession of more than the second person before we got them and Montoya says we have 

 all he found of it." 



The several pieces weigh approximately as follows: 



No. 1, 1,467 grams; No. 2, 1,226 grams; No. 3, 676 grams. The first two are practically intact except the small 

 portion removed for analysis. The third is in two fragments, of which the larger shows chisel marks and a coarsely 

 crystalline surface of fracture, while the smaller shows chisel and vise marks and has evidently been heated , presumably 

 in a forge. As the two fragments do not fit together there can be no doubt that some portion is missing and it is probable 

 that the heating was resorted to in order to facilitate the cutting off of small pieces for the purpose of crude experiment 

 intended to reveal the nature of the substance. The quantity of the material thus sacrificed can hardly be conjectured. 

 If the mass was separated in the first place into two nearly equal portions and what was thought to be the smaller was 

 subjected to further subdivision, which seems probable, as much as 200 grams may have been destroyed or rendered 

 worthless. 



The form and general appearance, as well as the prominence of the "thumb marks," are well shown in photo- 

 etchings of the two specimens. The surfaces exhibit no evidence of weathering and the thin dark-brown crust appears 

 to be intact, except that in the depressions where it is somewhat tSicker than on the protuberances minute cracks 

 are discernible with a lens. A reproduction of the etched figures, printed direct from a small slice treated with 

 bichloride of mercury solution, shows very prominently the stronger lines of taenite; while with a lens the finer lines 

 present in one of the triangular patches can be detected even in the print. Irregular patches of granular texture 

 containing minute scales of graphite are likewise prominently distributed through the bands of kamacite. Troilite was 



