310 The Shalka Meteorite. [No. 4. 



Specific Gravity. 

 The specific gravity of a fair average specimen, with some crust 

 attached, and which was allowed to part with all its air bubbles was 

 3.36. 



Magnetism. 



The black crust only is magnetic. The ash-grey and darker masses 

 are not so, nor do the black grains affect the magnet. 



Blowpipe. 



The ashy grey mass. In the forceps becomes of a dark greenish brown 

 colour, but does not fuse. 



Upon charcoal the same, but the colour is not so deep. 



With borax a small splinter partly dissolves, colouring the glass a 

 light grass green colour, and leaving a small dark fragment which does 

 not dissolve. 



The powder with borax on platina wire dissolves completely, giv- 

 ing a pale or deep grass-green bead according to the quantity employ- 

 ed. 



The powder of the darker black mineral is exactly of the colour of 

 the light ash-grey parts. 



With borax on the platina wire gives a bright golden grass-green 

 bead which by reflected light has somewhat of an emerald green tinge. 

 Hence I presume that this part contains chromate of irou dispersed in 

 it, in minute quantities, and indeed it appears in some places to run 

 into the black shining specks of chromate of iron above described. 



Small pieces digested for a long time in Nitro- Hydrochloric acid. 

 The solution becomes highly coloured with iron, and a little siliceous 

 powder is detached ; but the mass undeigoes no farther alteration at 

 the time. After some days however the fragments, after being washed 

 clean and exposed to the atmosphere, are covered with a light greenish 

 yellow coating, shewing that the iron at the surface has passed into the 

 state of the hydrated protoxide. 



The Black Grains. 



Examined by the magnifier, these are on the fractured surface of a 

 greenish black colour, with a semi-metallic appearance like brilliant 

 fragments of coal ; some of the grains, none of which exceed a small 



