Meteoric Stones. OT 



4. Oxyd of tin. — This is mixed with the ehrome-iron. One 

 can satisfy himself of its presence when the last named metal is 

 separated by bi-sulphate of potassa, and the solution in water is 

 treated with sulphm^etted hydrogen, when the sulphuret of tin is 

 thrown down. It has a trace of copper. 



5. Magnetic Iron-ore. — ^This does not perhaps occur in all. It 

 is taken out with the magnet, when it again manifests its property 

 of dissolving in hydro-chloric-acid with a yellow color and with- 

 out a disengagement of hydrogen. 



6. Sulphuret of Iron. — This is found in all. It has been im* 

 possible for me to separate any for a distinct examination. All 

 the circumstances seem to show that it consists of one atom of 

 each of the elements. A surplus of sulphur in a mass, where a 

 surplus of iron prevails throughout, is not supposable. One part of 

 it follows the magnet together with the iron, the other part remains 

 in the powder of the stone, as nothing more is given up to the 

 magnet. This is sometimes a larger percentage. Whether this 

 is by a chemical union, as is the case, for example, with the sul- 

 phuret of manganese in helvin, or is merely by adhesion to the 

 powder of the stone, my researches could not decide ; the latter 

 is the more probable when Pe S is weakly magnetic, but the 

 former is not impossible. The sulphuret of iron causes the pul- 

 verized meteoric stone to develope sulphuretted hydrogen gas 

 when it is mixed with hydro-chloric-acid. 



7. Native Iron. — This iron is not pure, although it is altogether' 

 malleable. It contains carbon, sulphur, phosphorus, magnesia, 

 manganese, nickel, cobalt, tin and copper. But it is moreover 

 blended with small crystals within the mass, of a union of phos- 

 phuret of iron with phosphuret of nickel, and phosphuret of man- 

 ganese. These are insoluble in hydro-chloric-acid and fall down 

 while in the solution. Their quantity varies. The iron of El- 

 lenbogen gives 2} per cent., but the Pallasian iron not \ per cent, 

 of it. A part is so finely divided in the mass of the iron, that 

 what falls down in the solution resembles a black powder. The 

 cause of the Widmanstattian* figures is, that the foreign metals are 



* This refers to figures of a crystalline shape on the surface of some meteoric 

 iron, as of Agram, Siberia, Mexico, &c. first noticed by Widmanstatten. Sec Bey- 

 trage zur Geschichte und Kenntniss meteorischen Stein-und Metall-Massen von D, 

 Carl von Schreibers. p. 70. — Tr. 



Vol. xxxvn, No. 1.— July, 1839, bis. 13 



