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Native and Meteoric Iron. 



Art. XI. — On Native and Meteoric Iron ; by Charles Upham 

 Shepard, M. D., Professor of Chemistry in the Medical Col- 

 lege of the State of South Carolina. 



Native Iron from near Oswego^ N. Y. 



While at French Creek, Jefferson county, N. Y., during the 

 last summer, I was informed by Capt. Hugernin, of that place, 

 of the existence of a mass of native iron at Oswego, which had 

 for several years been in the possession of an individual there, by 

 whom it had been preserved, under the impression that it was 



of meteoric origin. Aided by directions from Capt. H., I had 

 no difficulty, when passing through Oswego a few days after, in 

 finding the person in whose hands the specimen was still remain- 

 ing. This individual was Mr. Philander Rathbun, a highly 

 inteUigent and respectable blacksmith. He very liberally pre- 

 sented me the mass, upon the conditions of my devoting to it a 

 careful examination, and reserving for him a slice of it, suffi- 



