294. A. W. Wright—Spectroscopic Examination 
most about, and to which years of impartial study have been 
Long: continued conscientious work in systematic bot- 
is to be any science in saint ny: 
[To be continued.] 
Art. XX XIL—Spectroscopic Examination of Gases from Mete- 
oric Jron; by ARTHUR W. WRIGHT. 
THE well-known investigation of Professor Graham, upon the 
ases occluded by meteoric iron, showed that the Lenarto mete- 
orite contained at least 2°85 times its volume of gaseous sub- 
stances, consisting of hydrogen, carbonic oxide, and nitrogen.* 
The percentages of the several gases were: hydrogen, 85°68 ; 
carbonic oxide, 4°46; nitrogen, 9°86. As he had observed that 
it is difficult to produce an absorption by iron of more than its 
own volume of hydrogen under a pressure of one SHRED AON: 
he concluded that the Lenarto iron had derived this gas from 
an atmosphere containing it in abundance, and at a pressure 
much greater than is found at the surface of the earth, such, for 
instance, as must exist near the surface of the sun or of the 
larger fixed stars. 
Similar results were obtained subsequently by Professor J. 
W. Mallet,+ in experiments upon a meteoric iron from Augusta 
, Virginia, in which he found ine as e gases present, in a 
somewhat different roportion, with oa addition of a small 
amount of carbonic di-oxide, the percentages being : hydrogen, 
85°83; carbonic oxide, 88 33: sitboaie di-oxide, 9°75; nitrogen, 
16:09. The percentage of hydrogen i in the first portion of gas 
collected was greater than in the portions tines aia later. The 
volume of the gases was 3:17 times that of the iro 
- On the supposition that the meteoric iron has isa its 
as 6) other gases from an extra-terrestrial source, if not 
from the sun, possibly from some other body having a similar 
atmosphere 6 great density, it seemed probable that the un- 
own gaseous elements, assumed to be present in the solar 
corona and chromosphere, might be detected in the gases 
* Proc. Royal Soc., xv, 502. + Ibid., xx, 365. 
