to the nature of granite, whether solid or molten, which would lead us to believe that any amount of pressure could elevate its density from three to five. The only way of accounting for the high density that the earth exhibits as a whole, is by the assumption that there must be vast metallic masses in the interior. Considering the well-known abundance of iron in the earth's crust it can hardly be doubted that this is the element which gives its high specific gravity to our globe.
Spectroscopic evidence as to the presence of iron elsewhere demonstrates its abundance. Iron exists in profusion in the sun and in many of the stars, so that taking all these matters into account it seems highly probable that this element abounds in the deep interior of our earth. This being granted there is now no difficulty in accounting for the presence of the great Ovifak masses. As the molten lava issued from some volcanic vent it swept forth mighty fragments of that iron whose abundance in the earth's interior is shown on other grounds to be so extremely probable.
There is also one other instance which may be adduced in which specimens of this peculiar iron-nickel alloy have been shown to be of terrestrial origin. There is a remarkable extinct volcano known as Coon Butte in Mexico. It is one of many others which indicate that the country which contains them was at one time intensely agitated by volcanic forces. All the evidences of volcanic activity are around, the congealed streams of lava are still to be seen, as well as the craters from which that lava has emerged. The circumstance in connection with this region which is important for our present purpose is the presence of a multitude of masses of metallic iron, which
