59 
and dissolved in sulphuric acid with formation of a brown 
colouring matter ; the rhombic crystals likewise dissolved in 
ether and bisulphide of carbon, hut were unaltered by cold 
nitric and sulphuric acids, or turpentine. The etherial 
extract gave no reaction for sulphuric acid, but, after boiling 
with nitric acid, a copious precipitate of sulphate of barium 
was deposited. When burnt in a stream of dry oxygen gas, 
0'0078 gramme of the extract, dried at 100° C., yielded O’OIO 
gramme of sulphurous acid, 0 - 008 gramme of carbonic acid, 
and 0*003 gramme of water. Hence the meteorite contained 
T24 per cent of free sulphur, 0*54 per cent of carbon, and 0*1 
per cent of hydrogen, in a form soluble in ether. The 
meteorite contains a considerable quantity of carbon 
(probably as graphite) which is insoluble in ether. The total 
percentage of carbon found on igniting the meteorite in oxygen 
amounted to 3*36 per cent ; this closely corresponds with the 
amount found by Berzelius, viz., 3*05 per cent. 
From the above it is evident that the Alais meteorite 
contains at least a half per cent of a hydrocarbon, which is 
deposited in acicular crystals when the mass is treated with 
ether, together with considerable quantities (more than one per 
cent) of free sulphur, crystallizing from the ethereal solution 
in rhombic octohedra. To judge by the melting point, the 
hydrocarbon may be analogous to a mineral wax called 
Konlite, discovered by Kraus in the lignite of Uznach, which 
contains an equal number of atoms of carbon and hydrogen, 
and melts at 114° C. 
The Rev. T. P. Kirkman, M.A., F.R.S., read a Paper 
“ On Maximum Groups.” 
A substitution is positive or negative, as it is made by an 
even or by an odd number of transpositions of two letters. 
To every group G of positive substitutions (a positive 
group G), derangements GP, GQ, .... can be added, so as to 
complete the entire group of 4 FIN substitutions, N being 
the number of letters, which is always a positive group. 
