THE CONSTITUENTS OF METEORITES 



403 



meteorites.' The magnetic and nonmagnetic or, in other words, 

 the metallic and stony portions of the Homestead meteorite 

 were tested separately by Wright in order to determine whether 

 these different portions exercised any selective action in holding 

 gases. The investigation gave the following results : 



Entire stone 



Magnetic portion, . 5 1 . . . . 

 Non-magnetic portion, 0.97. 



Volumes 



1.87 

 1.48 



50-93 

 59-38 

 30.96 



co+co. 



48-07 

 38-72 



66.96 



I .00 



1 .90 



The residts show no important differences in the gases held 

 by the different portions. By way of caution, attention should 

 be called to the fact that the gases in meteorites may not have 

 been originally present in the form and quantities which the 

 analyses indicate. Thus Wright in making his analyses found 

 CO3 rapidly reduced to CO through contact with heated iron. 

 Likewise, H, CO, and iron may at a moderate heat reduce the 

 iron oxide present in many meteorites, and thus the character of 

 each be changed. The percentages of the different gases obtained 

 by analyses may be, therefore, more indicative than absolute. 



Cohen calls attention to the fact that from artificial irons 

 may be obtained gases corresponding both qualitatively and 

 quantitatively to those obtained from meteoric irons. The fol- 

 lowing list of analyses illustrates this. 



Finally it should be noted that, according to the investiga- 

 tions of Vogel, Wright, and Lockyer, the spectra of the gases 

 obtained from meteorites show remarkable resemblances to the 

 spectra of comets. 



' Proc. Roy. Soc, Vol. LXIV, pp. 130-142. 



