138 H. A. Ward — Four New Australian Meteorites. 



Mungindi. 



A siderite found early in 1897 in Queensland, three miles 

 north of Mungindi P. O., New South Wales. Its length is 

 39 cm ; width, 24| cm ; greatest thickness, 17 cm . Its weight is 62 

 lbs. or 28*1 kilos. The exterior surface shows in some places 

 the original crust, which is of a dense black, graphitic appear- 

 ance. But the larger portion of the crust is of a dark yellow- 

 ish-brown color, while on the prominent ridges it is worn 

 entirely away, thus allowing the edges to show the silver color 

 of the iron within. 



Mungindi meteorite, £ natural size 



The whole surface on all sides is completely covered with 

 pittings, rather uniform in size, but varying much as to gen- 

 eral shape. Some few of the deeper and smaller circular ones, 

 as seen in cut, are undoubtedly formed by the disappearance 

 of the troilite nodules that once filled these cavities. The 

 prominent ridges all have the same general trend, which is in 

 the line of the main axis of the mass. 



A cross-section when etched with weak acid brings out, very 

 quickly, Widmanstatten figures of great clearness and beauty : 

 the markings are strongly octahedral. The sectional face as 

 shown in the cut displays several troilite nodules of various sizes 

 and shapes, some of which are long thread-like masses from 3 

 to 4 crn in length, while others are round or oblong in shape. 

 Patches of schreibersite, small in size, are also plainly visible 

 throughout the section, while the Laphamite lines of Smith 

 show distinctly here and there. 



As to etching, it is attacked more readily and quickly by 

 weak acid than is any other iron with which I am acquainted. 



