206 J. W. Mallet—Gases accompanying Meteorites. 
Art. XXX.—-Nole on the Gases accompanying Meteorites ; by 
Prof. J. W. MAuuet, University of Virginia. 
In the paper of Prof. A. W. Wright, in the American 
Journal of Science for July, on the gases obtained from the 
mixed iron and stony meteorite of Feb. 12, 1875, he rene 
that his results “ warrant the following conclusions: 1st. The 
stony meteorites are distinguished from.the tron ones by having the 
oxides of carbon, Soe the dioxide, as their characteristic gases, 
instead of hydro 
The only sacs of meteoric iron from which, so far as I 
ie the joraien hydrogen was the predominant gas | i 
to 85°68 p. « of the gaseous educt, with but 446 p. 
carbon monoxide and no carbon dioxide; but be the latter 
1 obtained the proportion : 
% Hydrogen _- oo oO ea Se 
Carbon. inonexide Sa oe S833) 48°08 
Carbon dioxidé .. 2.2. 222. ae toe ew 
So that the oxides of carbon stand to the hydrogen in round 
numbers in the the ratio 4:38,* and in the paper on the sub- 
ject read before the Royal Society on May 30, 1872, I drew 
attention to the fact that this result did not agree wit 
Graham's supposition as to py dee being the characteristic 
gaseous ee ient of meteoric i 
As to the relative amounts of | the two oxides of carbon re- 
ava I remarked in the same paper: 
“ Although it might be assumed, especially in view of the 
strong tendency of iron to take up and * occlude” caiea> oxide, 
“ t this gas had been the oe form in which the gaseous car- 
In the preliminary trial made by Prof. Wright (this igusedl, 3 June, 1875, p. 
10 he oils of erin were found fo na mbig ie sn wigence gas, 
above; in his account of the more complete investiga- 
tion (this Journal, jl, is 1875, pp. 45 and 46) bh ne does not clearly pad the abso- 
lute volumes o tained at different tempera 
impossible to peer geri percentage of carbon compounds for the whole. 
The arithmetic mean taken b ive a part 
three analyses SS. the oxides of carbon than the first two, this num- 
tI iohy uiskticn iat it dhe Sritidk Apgoolation meeting at Brighton, in 1872, 
Mr. Ww. Chandler Roberts of the English Mint, formerly hg Pane assistant, 
er 0. 
sequently to the publication of Prof. Graham’s well known , had yi 
sults similar to mine. at 
