Analysis of the Meteoric Iron of Louisiana. 219 



nia. To the residue was added warm water, which dissolv- 

 ed the salts of potash, and left the oxide of nickel floating 

 in the solution, in the form of a flocculent, apple green pre- 

 cipitate. Separated by the filter, dried, ignited and weigh- 

 ed, it amounted to 5-8 grs. ; which being in the condition of 

 the protoxide, equals 4-837 grs. of the metal.* 



B. To another portion of the meteoric iron, weighing lOgrs. 

 nitro-muriatic acid was added, and the solution decomposed 

 as before. The oxide of iron, after being thoroughly drench- 

 ed with warm water, was dried and heated to redness in a 

 close platina vessel, over an alcoholic lamp. It weighed 

 12*89 grs. : which in the metallic condition would be 9*002 grs. 



We have, therefore, in the meteoric iron of Louisiana, 



Iron, 90-020. 



Nickel, 9-674. 



99-694. 

 Loss, ": , . .306. 



100-000. 



The similarity which was before known to exist, between 

 the meteoric iron of Louisiana and Santa Rosa, in South 

 America, as regarded the circumstances of their situation and 

 general properties, heightened as it now appears to be by 

 their close agreement in composition,! seems almost to lead 

 to the supposition, that they were derived from one and the 

 same meteorite, which traversed the atmosphere of our plan- 

 et in a direction, lengthwise of the American continent. 



* Since the method for separating the nickel here adopted had been objected 

 to, on the ground, that a portion of the oxide of nickel remains behind along with 

 the precipitated iron, I examined that precipitate by acetic acid, without obtain- 

 ing any indication that such had been the fact in the present instance. And 

 that this is not always the case, the experience of Dr. I. Noggerath may be men- 

 tioned, who in his examination of the Bitburg meteoric iron, was, in like manner, 

 unable todetectany remaining oxide of nickel in the precipitate by ammonia. — 

 Journal far Chemie und Physick. B. XIII. S. 15. 



t The meteoric iron of Santa Rosa, is composed of iron 91 -41. ajnd nickel 

 S-59. — Ann. de Chimie et de Physique, torn, xxv, p. 438. 



