376 W. J. Taylor on Meteoric Iron from Mexico. 



No. 2 dissolved in hydrochloric acid, gave 



Iron, - - - - 58*25 per cent. 

 A residue remained, which dissolved after being treated with 

 hydrochloric acid and chlorate of potash : it consisted of 

 Copper, ** 0*12 per cent. 



The remainder consisted principally of chromic iron, with a 

 small portion of schreibersite. 



The specific gravity was found to be 4*822. 



The ratio of sulphur to the metals was found to be 



Sulphur, 2*102, Iron, 2*066, ) „ Qm 



Nickel and Cobalt, 0*245, j Z ' 6Vi ' 



It will be seen that the composition corresponds with that of 

 pyrrhotine, considering its formula to be FeS, if we disregard 

 the few impurities which were found with it. 



The meteoric iron was first treated in a flask with hydro- 

 chloric acid, and the gas evolved was passed through a solution of 

 ammonia chlorid of copper, but not a trace of sulphur could be 

 detected in this manner. 



In the fifth supplement to Kammelsberg's Handworterbuch der 

 chemischen Mineralogie, this meteoric iron is mentioned as pas- 

 sive, experiments having been made by Prof. Wohler; but the 

 piece belonging to Mr. Vaux is evidently active, throwing down 

 metallic copper from a neutral solution of its sulphate. This 

 experiment was repeated with great care with confirmatory re- 

 sults. 



No. 1 was dissolved in hydrochloric acid, and a slight precipi- 

 tate was obtained by hydrosulphuric acid, which on a careful 

 examination before the blowpipe, was found to be copper with 



a trace of tin. 



Iron, - - - - 90*72 percent. 



Nickel, .... 8*49 " 



Cobalt, - - - - -44 " 



Schreibersite, Chromic iron, &c, *38 " 



Silicon, - - - - '25 " 



Phosphorus, ... -18 " 



100*46 



The phosphorus was estimated in a separate portion which 

 was first oxydized by nitric acid and fused in a platinum cruci- 

 ble with carbonate of soda. 



No. 2 was dissolved in nitric acid. 



It gave, Iron, 90*37 per cent. 



Nickel, 7.79 

 Insoluble residue, 1*91 " 



100.07 



