Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 319 



characteristic series of bright lines and dark absorption-bands. 

 Amongst the former the sodium, lithium, and potassium lines are 

 most conspicuous ; but these are accompanied by a number of other, 

 and as yet undetermined, bright lines ; whilst among the absorption- 

 bands those formed by sodium-vapour and carbonic oxide can be 

 readily distinguished. Professor Roscoe expressed his belief that 

 this first practical application of the spectrum analysis will prove of 

 the highest importance in the manufacture of cast steel by the 

 Bessemer process. — Proceedings of the Literary and Philosophical 

 Society of Manchester, February 24, 1863. 



ON THE EXISTENCE OF A CRYSTALLTZABLE CARBON COMPOUND 

 AND FREE SULPHUR IN THE ALAIS METEORITE. BY PROFESSOR 

 ROSCOE. 



Through the kindness of R. P. Greg, Esq., of Manchester, I was 

 placed in possession of about a gramme and a half of this peculiar 

 meteorite, which fell near Alais, in France, on March 15, 1806, 

 and was examined by Berzelius in 1834. This distinguished chemist 

 states* that the Alais meteorite is remarkable as containing an 

 organic carbon-compound, soluble in water, which turns brown on 

 heating, deposits a black carbonaceous mass, and burns without 

 residue. In the year 1860, Wohlerf discovered the presence of 

 small traces of a crystallizable hydrocarbon, soluble in alcohol and 

 ether, in two meteorites, one of which fell at Kaba, in Hungary, on 

 April 15, 1857, and the other at Bokkevelde, in South Africa, on 

 October 13, 1838. The fact thus undoubtedly proved, of the exis- 

 tence in these two meteorites of crystallizable carbon-compounds, 

 which in terrestrial matter are solely the results of vital action, 

 rendered a further confirmation of the existence of organic matter in 

 the Alais meteorite of special interest. 



In general appearance the small fragments of the meteorite ex- 

 perimented upon coincided exactly with the minute description of 

 the substance given by Berzelius : the white efflorescence which 

 covers the surface of the mineral was found to consist mainly of 

 small crystals of sulphate of magnesium ; the only other bodies 

 which could be detected by spectrum analysis were soda and lime. 

 Iron was not contained in the soluble salts. On extracting T0583 

 gramme of the meteorite with water, 0*1 155 gramme of soluble salts 

 was dissolved, corresponding to 10'91 per cent., and thus closely 

 agreeing with Berzelius's estimation of 10*3 per cent. 



Ether was found to dissolve from the residue 1*94 per cent, of 

 the original meteorite, a substance which on evaporation was de- 

 posited in distinct crystals. The crystals possessed a peculiar 

 aromatic odour, and melted at 114° C, subliming on heating, and 

 leaving a slight carbonaceous residue. Under the microscope the 



* Pogg. Ann. vol. xxxiii. p. 113. 



f Wien, Acad, Ber, vol. xxxv. p. 5 ; xli. p. 565. 



