250 
Selections. 
[no. 2f NEW SERIES, 
*' Whatever may have been the origin of the metalliferous mass 
from Battersea, its discovery has at all events served to develop 
certain peculiarities in the growth of plants which appear to be of 
high interest to the eminent botanists who have examined the parts 
of this tree which surrounded the supposed meteorite. Unwilling 
to endeavour to anticipate the final decision as to the origin of the 
body in question, I may be permitted to feel a satisfaction that its 
discoverer brought it to the Establishment of which 1 am the Di- 
rector, and which numbers among its officers a Fellow of this Society, 
who is so well calculated, by his analytical researches, to settle the 
question on a permanent basis. Should the metallurgical analysis 
now under the conduct of Dr. Percy lead to the inevitable conclu- 
sion that the composition of this body is different from that of well- 
authenticated meteorites, and is similar to that of undoubted iron 
slags, we shall then have obtained proofs of the great circuinspec- 
tion reqiiired before we assign a meteoric orign to some of these 
crystalline iron masses, W'hich though not seen to fall, have, from 
their containing nickel, cobalt and other elements, been supposed 
to be formed by causes extraneous to our planet. 
** Postscript, 30th June 1855. — The following are the analyses 
above referred to which have been given to me by Dr. Percy since 
the preceding notice was read : — 
The slag- like matter (1) attached to the metal in the tree, as well 
as the similar matter (2) with adherent metal which was found by 
Mr. Reeks in the vicinity of the tree, has been analysed. The results 
are as follow : — 
No. 1. 
No. 2. 
58-70 
63-52 
35-46 
32-30 
0 30 
0-59 
0-74 
0 21 
Protoxide of manganese. . 
, . trace 
trace 
3-40 
2-85 
0 43 
0-57 
trace 
trace 
99 03 
100 04 
