1886.] On the Gaseous Constituents of Meteorites. 557 



given off by the celestial graphite, and also the marsh-gas, have been 

 reduced to rather more than one-half, while with regard to the^ un- 

 known graphite, although the total volume of gas remains about the 

 same (probably due to a rather higher temperature being em- 

 ployed), the marsh -gas has also been reduced to rather less than one- 

 third the original amount, and the hydrogen has correspondingly 

 increased. 





Occluded 

 gases in 

 vols, of the 

 graphite. 



co 2 . 



CO. 



H. 



CH 4 . 





Celestial graphite before treat- 

















725 



91-81 





2-50 



5-40 



01 



Celestial graphite after treat- 

















3 50 



81-50 



10-63 



1-41 



2 12 



0-74 



Unknown graphite before treat- 

















7-26 



50-79 



3-16 



2-50 



39-53 



3-49 



Unknown graphite after treat- 

















7-15 



64 -86 



5-67 



14-37 



12-96 



2-00 



These experiments prove that either the ether did not dissolve out 

 all the actual carbonaceous compounds present, or that the marsh-gas 

 was subsequently formed during the heating of the graphite. 



As Dr. De La Rue had kindly placed at our disposal a splendid 

 specimen of the Orgueil meteorite, we took the opportunity of com- 

 paring the gases occluded by this typical specimen of the carbonaceous 

 class with those obtained from the stony meteorites and the graphites. 

 This meteorite has been so thoroughly examined by Cloez and Pisani 

 (" Compt. rend.," vol. 59 (1864), pp. 37, 132) with regard to its 

 chemical inorganic constituents, that nothing need be said as to its 

 general composition. We therefore confined ourselves to the gases 

 given off on heating which had not previously been determined. 



During the heating of the meteorite a large quantity of water, on 

 which floated numerous small pieces of sulphur, collected in the bulb 

 tube immersed in the freezing mixture. This water was strongly acid, 

 and indeed smelt strongly of sulphurous acid. On evaporating it to 

 dryness with a drop of hydrochloric acid, abundance of ammoniacal 

 salts were found in the residue. In the cool anterior part of the com- 

 bustion-tube a considerable sublimate had collected, which proved to 

 be principally sulphate of ammonium with traces of sulphides and 

 sulphites, and a large quantity of free sulphur. A very large quan- 

 tity of gas was given off, having the following composition : — 



