1851.] The Shalka Meteorite. 3 1 1 



millet or hemp- seed in size, have an imperfect garnet like (dodecahe- 

 dra 1 ) crystallization. 



The powder of them is a dull, ashy, reddish brown. The powder of 

 crystallized chromate of iron from our collections, which on the frac- 

 ture exactly resembles these grains, is of a dull greenish black. Both 

 powders preserve brilliant points in them, though rubbed to the utmost 

 fineness. 



In the forceps, in both flames : becomes somewhat dull but does not 

 alter. 



Fused with soda on charcoal, the powder gives only the traces of 

 iron. When nitrate of potash is added to the bead on platinum wire 

 a yellow greenish opaque bead is obtained. 



With phosphate of soda and ammonia a green bead. 



With borax on platinum wire a fine emerald green bead is obtained, 

 with minute black grains, which seem infusible in it. When Nitrate 

 of potash is added to the borax, the whole is fused to a clear dark 

 bottle-gieen grass. 



When the powder was fused in a platina crucible with borax, to 

 which nitrate of potash was gradually added, it slowly fused to a very 

 pale yellow mass, which was mostly soluble in water ; a little silica only 

 remaining, and when filtered it gave a pale green yellow solution from 

 which chromate of lead was obtained by acetate of lead, but the preci- 

 pitate by this process was at first of a lighter yellow than usual, and 

 only assumed the usual bright yellow of chromate of lead on the filter. 

 I am of opinion that these black grains are, like the residual ones 

 noticed in my examination of Captain SherwhTs Meteoric Iron (Journ, 

 Vol. XVII. Part X. p. 549), a siliceous sub-chromate. 



The Crust. 



I collected by the help of a magnifier a few fragments of the black 

 crust from amongst the fragments and dust, but it was very difficult 

 to find any so completely detached from the grey mass as to be 

 purely crust ; one or two so found appeared crystallized in minute 

 brilliant facets or needles on the inner surface ; and I am inclined to 

 think that the greater part of the crust is really crystallized on its inner 

 surface though outwardly it only appears rough and as if semi-fused. 



Before the blowpipe. — Alone, infusible and unalterable. 



