Peculiar Form of Metallic Iron. — Hojfman. 107 
in a solution of cupric sulphate the grains became immediately 
coated with a film of metallic copper. They were readily at- 
tacked by h^'drochloric acid with evolution of h^xlrogen possessing 
a marked odour of phosphine, the latter, however, graduall}'' 
passed off as digestion proceeded, when a peculiar fetid smell sim- 
ilar to that which characterizes hydrogen evolved from wrought 
iron or impure zinc, was observable. Hj'di'ochloric acid did not 
effect complete solution — the undissolved material still presenting 
a metallic aspect ; a further treatment with nitric acid, however, 
j'emoved the remaining metallic matter, leaving a granular, nucle- 
iform, non-metallic, insoluble residue. 
The metallic spherules were found to have a specific gravit}', at 
15.5" C, of 6.8612, and a composition, as follows : 
Iron 88.00 
Manganese 0.51 
Nickel 0.10 
Cobalt. . . 0.21 
Copper 0.09 
Sulphur 0. 12 
Phosphorus 0.96 
Carbon ? 
Organic matter undet. 
Insoluble, non-metallic, residue 9.76 
99.75 
The insoluble residue consisted of spherical, ovoid, etc. , shaped 
grains which were more or less coated with a 3'ellowish-brown, ap- 
parently humus-like, substance. When broken, these spherules 
were seen to have a concentric structure, apparenth' of a concre- 
tionary character. On ignition the organic matter readil}- burnt 
off, leaving them snow-white. The ignited spherules were found 
to be exceedingly h\'groscopic, so much so, that in the short space 
of time occupied in their transference from one container to an- 
other, they absorbed not less than 0. 775 per cent, of water. 
An analysis of this residue gave the following results : 
Silica 9.17 
Alumina 0. 11 
Ferric oxide 0. 1 
Lime o.(>6 
Magnesia o.d.J 
Loss?i 0..'9 
9.76 
'The analysis was conducted upon a very small amount of material 
— the silica may, not improbably, be a little too low. 
