332 Meteorites from New Mexico. 



compact a mass of iron should have been so completely broken 

 asunder, and in this respect the fall is quite unique. The frac- 

 tures are very clean considering the size of the fragments, 

 although the edges are somewhat irregular. No. 1 is filled with 

 elongated hollows, proving that it was disturbed, and the twist- 

 ings in No. 2 at the point of impact would lead to the conclusion 

 that the falling body was partly semiplastic; but Prof. R. H. 

 Thurston, who kindly examined the iron, compares the fracture 

 to the effect that is produced by a sudden heavy blow on cold 

 iron, and has observed the same violent wrenching in an iron tar- 

 get used in heavy gunning practice and now at the Stevens In- 

 stitute, Hoboken, N. J. 



In order to separate these large pieces, the force of the blow 

 must have been enormous, for the disrupted surface is over one 

 foot square, and the material as tough as any meteoric iron yet 

 found. That the impact was on a rock may well be proven by 

 the fact that the smaller pieces were torn oif as readily as the 

 larger ones. The iron has few signs of weathering, and hence 

 fell recently. It is not deliquescent, and hence contains no chlo- 

 rine. A red, ochreous, coating from the soil in which it was 

 imbedded, not removable by washing, is a distinguishing char- 

 acteristic of all the pieces of this iron. 



The following is the result of an analysis of a compact piece 

 of iron from No. 3, made by Mr. James B. Mackintosh, E. M., 

 of the School of Mines, New York City : 



Fe - - - - - - - 87.93 



Ni 11.15 



Co ------ - 0.33 



P 0.36 



99.77 



Carbon, sulphur, and other constituents were not determined. 

 The specific gravity of mass No. 2 was taken on a common steel- 

 yard, and found to be 7.66-J-- The figures may be of interest 

 as showing the homogeneity of the mass, although the method 

 employed was not delicate. 



This iron is one of the Holosiderites of Daubree, and comes 

 under the general group of Caillite of Stanislaus Meunier ; it is 



