Lava from Iceland :—Two specimens were examined; in eacli case a little carbon dioxide was obtained.
Some specimens from the Kimberley diamond field, obtained from Mr. Crookes :—
Blue clay :—A considerable quantity of a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide was obtained. After explosion with oxygen, no trace of .gas remained.
Coarse-grained gravel and so-called “ carbon ” gave the same result.
Examination of Specimens of Meteoric Iron.
Specimens of meteoric iron were kindly sent for examination by Dr. Fletcher of the British Museum :—
Greenbrier County meteorite :—Ten grams of metal gave a fairly large quantity of gas on heating, which consisted wholly of hydrogen. Toluca meteorite :—One gram gave 2'8 c.c, of pure hydrogen. Charca meteorite :—One gram gave 0-28 c.c. of hydrogen. Rancho de la Pila meteorite (‘ Min. Mag.,’ ix, 153) :—One gram gave 057 c.c. of gas. It consisted of hydrogen. Obernkirchen Meteorite, from Schaumberg-Lippe, Germany, described by Wichs and Wohler (‘ Pogg. Ann.,’ vol. 120, p. 509) :—One gram gave 2‘6 c.c. of gas.
The gases from these meteorites were exploded with oxygen, and were found to contain no trace either of argon or helium, or of nitrogen. The carbon compounds present were possibly produced by the decomposition of the oil, &c., with which the shavings of meteoric iron had become contaminated.
It will be remembered that a previously examined specimen of meteorite was found to contain both argon and helium.
Examination of the Gases held in Solution by the Waters certain Mineral Springs.
Old Sulphur Well, Harrogate.—One carboy of water gave 650 c.c. of gas from which, after circulation and sparking, 45 c.c. of argon were obtained. Spectroscopic examination of the gas proved that it contained nothing but argon.
Strathpeffer Wells.—One carboy of water gave 1 litre of a gas which, after sparking and circulation, gave 22 c.c. of pure argon. The gas was separated from these waters by the method described by Lord Rayleigh (‘Phil. Trans.,’ A, vol. 186, p. 220).
Mineral Springs of Cauterets.—The mineral springs of the Hautes Pyrenees, particularly those containing sulphides, have long been known to contain considerable quantities of nitrogen. Dr. H. C. Bouchard, of Paris, has recently (‘ Compt. Rend.,’ vol. 121, p. 392) published an account of his examination of gases obtained from the wells
