OBSERVATIONS OF LUMINOUS METEORS. 125 



Appendix by Dr. Flight. 



The Butcher Meteoric Irons of Oohakuila} 



Dr. L. Smith publishes a further paper on the new mineral occurring 

 in the irons, to which mineral he has given the name of Daubreelite. It 

 possesses the following composition : — 



Calculated. Found. 



Sulphur 44-29 43-26 



Chromium 36-33 36-38 



Iron 19-38 20-36 



10000 100-00 



It is a sulphide corresponding in atomic constituents to the well-known 

 oxide, chromite (FeO,-Gr0 3 ), daubreelite being FeS,-CrS 3 , sulphur re- 

 placing the oxygen. The calculation of the composition is based upon 

 the sulphur found in the analyses. The finer powder obtained by cutting 

 sections of the irons are treated with a magnet to remove the nickel-iron ; 

 that remaining consists of torilite and daubreelite. This is then digested 

 with strong hydrochloric acid several times ; all the troilite dissolves 

 readily, and the residue consists of the new sulphide. ' It consists of 

 shining black fragments, more or less scaly in structure, not altogether 

 unlike fine particles of molybdenite. ' The fracture is uneven, except in 

 one direction, where there appears to be a cleavage. It is brittle and easily 

 pulverised, the fine particles retaining their brilliancy. It is not magnetic, 

 and but slightly altered before the blow-pipe. It is not acted upon in 

 the slightest degree by hydrochloric acid, either cold or hot, but dissolves 

 slowly and completely in nitric acid when warmed with it. The specific 

 gravity is 5*01 . 



Other meteoric irons, such as those from Toluco, Mexico, and Sevier 

 Co., Tennessee, contain this mineral. 



The Ovifah Irons.— Found 1870. 2 



The Academy of Sciences of Paris appointed a commission to report 

 on a paper by Dr. Lawrence Smith on the supposed native iron of 

 Greenland, and their report has recently been presented by M. Daubree. 

 It is pointed out that the bodies which come from beyond our atmo- 

 sphere, and which are called meteorites, present, as regards their minera- 

 logical constitution, a most striking resemblance to certain terrestrial 

 rocks. The important fact that masses derived from most widely sepa- 

 rated regions of space should present such resemblances was pointed out 

 by Nordenskjold in 1870, when he discovered large masses of native iron 

 at Ovifak, on the island of Disco, Greenland. The first thought which 

 suggested itself to him was that they were of meteoric origin. In order 

 to explain the fact that these masses were fused into the basalt, he 

 assumed that they had fallen into it while it was still liquid. Many 

 adopted this view, and, among others, Nauckhoffand Tschermak. Steen- 

 strup, on the other hand, after visiting the locality twice, came to the 

 conclusion that they were masses of native iron, and that they had the 



1 Amer. Jour. Sc, 1878, vol. xvi., p. 270. 



2 Corrupt. Rend., vol. Ixxxvii., p. 911. 



