510 G. P. Merrill — Minor Constituents of Meteorites. 



As is well known, the non-gaseous elements characteristic of 

 meteorites the presence of which have been established by 

 quantitative methods beyond controversy are silicon, aluminium, 

 iron, chromium, manganese, nickel, cobalt, magnesium, cal- 

 cium, sodium, potassium, sulphur, phosphorus and carbon. In 

 addition there have been reported, usually under such condi- 

 tions as to need authentication, or at least corroborative testi- 

 mony, arsenic, antimony, copper, gold, lead, palladium, plati- 

 num, tin, titanium, tungsten, uranium, vanadium and zinc. It 

 was mainly for the purpose of fixing the presence or absence 

 of these last named in amounts sufficient for determination by 

 a skillful analyst that the investigation was undertaken, though 

 the possible occurrence of other elemental constituents of ter- 

 restrial igneous rocks was not ignored. When possible, 

 samples of the same meteorities in which a doubtful element 

 had been reported were utilized. In others, meteorites were 

 taken which had not before been subject to analysis. The in- 

 vestigations were performed upon amounts of not less than 50 

 grams each, and each sample- was carefully selected in order to 

 insure its correctly representing the entire mass. In all cases 

 the meteorite has been made the subject of careful study — if a 

 stone, in thin sections— in addition to the analysis. 



Before discussing my own results, it may, however, be well 

 to enter into some detail regarding the previously reported 

 occurrences of the unusual constituents. 



Arsenic. — The first determination of arsenic of which I 

 have record is that of Karl Rumler, who in 1840 reported* 

 getting distinct arsenical reactions from the oli vine-like mineral 

 occurring in both the Atacama, Bolivia, and the Krasnojarsk, 

 Siberia, pallasites. It is difficult to detect possible sources of 

 error in Bumler's method as given. The fact,. however, that 

 no one has since been able to corroborate his work would sug- 

 gest some possible impurity in his reagents. The only other 

 reported occurrence of arsenic known to me is that of Fischer 

 and Duflos in the Braunau iron.f The determination can 

 to-day scarcely be considered satisfactory. The solution 

 remaining after the precipitation of the copper was evaporated, 

 the dry residue mixed with soda and heated before the blow- 

 pipe; result, a garlic odor. In stating the analysis, copper, 

 manganese, arsenic, lime, magnesium, silicon, carbon, chromium, 

 and sulphur are all thrown together as amounting to 2"072 per 

 cent. 



Antimony. — Traces of this metal were reported by Trot- 

 torelli in the stone of Collescipioli. I have not seen the original 

 paper, but an abstract by Max Bauer;): gives, among other con- 



*Pogg. Ann., xlix, 591, 1840. f Pogg. Ann., lxxii, 479, 1847. 



% Neues Jahrb. fur Min., etc., 1891, ii, 238. 



