J. I. Smith — Rockingham County Meteoric Iron. 213 



Its solubility in cblorh ydric acid, and its composition, clearly 

 point it out to be of the olivine type. 



The other mineral was found only on one part of my speci- 

 mens and there in the form of a white crystalline ma«' not ex- 

 ceeding in weight 20 milligrams; it looked at first sight like 

 enstatite, but there was sufficient difference in its aspect to lead 

 me to detach a few milligrams and test it : when I found it 

 r< «hh and completely soluble in hydrochloric acid, and as far 

 ;!< !t w: . ,s possible to decide on so minute a quantity it appeared 

 to consist only of silica and magnesia. 

 Insolubility ^h.)\vs elearlv that ir is not enstatite, and I can 

 igine it to be of the olivine type and consisting entirely 

 sia, occupying the same place among the 

 tat the enstatite does among the 

 I simply note this fact here, not as giving an vvery 

 3imply that it may be looked into by those 

 investigating these subjects. 



Bates County Meteoric, Iron. 

 This meteoric iron was first made known by a short note in 

 mal, Nov., 1875, p. 401. It was discovered near 

 gutter, in Bates Count v. Missouri flat. 88° 20', long. 94° 22'} 

 - it reached me had been in a blacksmith's forge, it 

 en heated for the purpose of cutting off a piece. It 

 about eighty pounds and was of an irregular form, 

 ;.v equal diameters in all directions: it had a thick 

 coat of rust on the surface ; the metal is very tough and when 

 -• numerous nodules of troilite were found on the in- 

 terior free from any schreibersite. The Widmanstatian figures 

 are readily developed, and are very large and regular. 

 Its specific gravity is 7*72. Its composition is— 



Phosphorus ......... --- *12 



Some of the troilite was detached but not analyzed ; its 

 specific gravity is 4 -73. 



Rockingha.h County M^eoric Iron. 



This meteoric iron was first brought to my notice, in 1870, 

 oj Prof. W. E. Kerr, the geologist of the State of North 

 ^arohna ; but a short time afterward, seeing a notice of it by 

 Ptvi j th in the Proceedings of the Academy of Sciences of 



bia, and as he proposed giving a further e • 

 P 1 the same at some ; ride my notes concern- 



n o it ; but having been frequently asked for particulars in rela- 



