MlNERALOGICAL CHEMISTRY Miner a 1 o gi c a1 C h emi stry. ii. 46 The Need for a Systematic Study of Optically Active Petroleums. MICHAEL RAKUSIN (Ber. 1909 42 4675-4678. Compare Abstr. 1909 ii 246 490 586).-Mainly polemical. A reply to Ubbelohde (Abstr. 1909 ii 899). J. J. S. Selenium in Altai Minerals. P. P. PILIPENKO (BUZZ. Acad. Sci. Sit. P6terabourg 1909 1113-1 ll5).-Two samples of galena from the hltai mountains were found to have the following compositions Se. S. Pb. cu. Fe. SiO,. Total. I. 1.17 12'60 82.28 1-28 0-48 2-02 99-83 11. 1'23 13'40 83.72 0.54 0 '47 0.48 99'64ii. 46 ABSTRACTS OF CHEMICAL PAPERS The mean composition given by two analyses of a sample of grey Se. S. Sb. As. Cu. Ag. Fe. Co. ZE. SiO,. Total. 0.13 24-48 25*71 1-68 39-16 trace 2-00 0.23 4-81 0.35 99-21 A number of other Altai minerals and also the sulphide compounds of the Mineralogical Museum of Tomsk University mere examined but the above specimens were the only ones containing selenium.copper from a mine in the Altai district is as follows T. H. P. A Pitchblende probably occurring in New South Wales. T. H. LABY (J. Boy. SOC. flew South JPuZes 1909 43 28-33).-The author has examined a pitchblende which was probably obtained from the New England district of New South Wales although the exact locality is unknown. Insol- H,O UO,. UO,. PbO. Mn304. Fe,O,. CaO. Bi203. CuO. As20,. MgO. SiO,. uble. (130"). 69.0 8.8 6'0 4 2 2-7 3.7 0'4 0'1 trace trace 0.1 2.4 0.69 Its radioactivity is 4.4 times that which would result from the amount of uranium present.The absence of rare earths the presence of CuO Br2O3 and As203 the large proportion of UO and the massive and non-crystalline form of the mineral indicate that it is probably a secondary pitchblende. Analysis of the mineral gave The powdered mineral has DZ3 7.65. H. M. D. Rhodizite in the Pegmatite8 of Madagascar. ALFRED LACROIX (Conzpt. rend. 1909 149 896-899).-The author has recently noted the presence of the two borates danburite (Abstr. 1909 ii 812) and hambergite (BO,GI,*OH) in the pegmatites of Madagascar. Tetrahedral crystals 14 cm. across of rhodizite have now been found embedded in the gem spodumene of a pegmatite-vein a t Antandrokomby ; the pegmatite is composed also of quartz microcline albite red and yellow tourmaline and a tantalocolumbate probably identical with microlite.Tho rhodizite crystals are whitish-yellow with a tinge of green ; they are pseudo-cubic with optical anomalies similar to those of boracite. Mean refractive index (Na) 1.69 H 8 D 3.305. Analysis by F. Pisani gave K20 Loss on Bz03. Al,03. G10. Li,O. (+Cs,O). Na,O. SiO,. ignition. Total. 40'60 30.50 10.10 7-30 5.90 3'30 1-36 0.45 99.51 Deducting silica and the corresponding amount of alumina and lithia present as admixed spodumene this analysis gives the formula 6B,03 SA1203,4G10 4(Li K,Na,H),O. Damour's analysis (1882) made on only a small quantity of the rare and minute crystals of the Uralian rhodizite &owed no glucinum or lithium ; it is remarked however that his percentage of alumina (41.40) is equal to the sum of the alumina and glucina in the above analysis and a qualitative test now made on a Uralian crystal ehowed the presence of litbia.L. J. 5.MINERALOGICAL CHEMISTRY. ii. 47 Pucherite from West Australia. E. GRIFFITES (J. Roy. Xoc. New South Vales 1908,42 251-252).-The concentrates from an oxidised quartz reef at Niagara 115 miles north of Kalgoorlie W. A. have been found to contain pucherite in the form of approximately cubical crystalline grains chrome-yellow in colour brittle and with a resinous lustre D 5.7. Analysis gave the following results Bi,O 73*77% V,O (including trace of P,O,) 25*31% Fe,O 0.36% residue insoluble in hydrochloric acid 0.8 1 %. H. 11. D. Connellite and Chalcophyllite from Bisbee Arizona. CHARLES PALACHE and H. E. MERWIN (Amer. J. Xci. 1909 [iv] 28 537-540).-A single small specimen from the Cdlumet and Arizona mine at Bisbee consists of groups of radiating needles of dark blue connellite together with cuprite melaiiochalcite and chalcophyllite.The connellite prisms are terminated by the unit pyramid and measurements gave CL c = 1 1.185 ; refractive indices o 1.724 B 1.746 ; D 3.396. HZO H,O H,O H,O Total(less0 Analysis (by Merwin) on 0.73 gram gave SOs. C1. CuO. (-=220"). (220-260"). (260-300"). (> 300"). for Cl). 3'43 6-37 75-96 0.25 12'06 2'10 1-66 100-41 This differs somewhat from the only analysis previously made of connellite (Penfield 1890 on only 0.074 gram) and corresponds with Cu,,C1,S0,,.20H20 or distributing the water in accordance with the temperatures a t which i t is expelled [ CuS0,,3Cu(OH),,H20],2[CuCI,,Cu(OH),~ ,14[Cu(OH),]. The crystals of chalcophyllite present many points of resemblance to spangolite but they were found to contain copper aluminium aud arsenic.Measurements gave u c = 1 2.671. L. J. S. The Earths of Euxenite. OTTO HAUSER and FRITZ WIRTH (Ber. 1909 42 4443-4447).-Specimens of euxenite from (I) Eitland (11) Arendal (111) Sietersdal (IV) South Carolina gave the following analyses Cb,O,. Taz05. Ti02 SnO,. W03. UOz. Tho,. Y,O,. I. 29.00 1.01 24.43 0.11 trace 5-64 4.50 27.32 -+ I I. 30-21 26.45 - I 5.28 3'20 28.47 111. 20.72 31'45 0.13 0 09 5-49 3.80 25.43 IV. 28.20 9.35 17'45 0-07 0.11 7.91 2.04 22-01 Loss on Ce(Sa,Di),O,. AI,O,. FeO. CaO. MgO. PbO. ignition. Total. I. 2.45 trace 1'37 0.85 0.08 0-43 2.87 100'16 11. 2-05 - 1'89 0.97 - - 2.01 100.64 111.2.58 - 4-94 0-66 0.14 0.46 3.88 99.76 IV. 6'93 - 2-04 - - 0-96 2.21 99.28 Of these I and I1 are typical euxenites I11 is to be regarded rather as a polycrase whilst I V diBers from both in containing an unusually large quantity of tantalic acid and a relatively small quantity of titanic acid. Of the yttrium group yttrium is always in excess. With increasingii. 48 ABSTRACTS OF CBEMICAL PAPERS. titanium holmium and dysprosium increase relatively t o neo-erbium. The components of ytterbium are abundant and scandium occurs especially in polycrase where it attains 0*060/ Samarium and praseodymium are absent from normal euxenites but samarium is found with increasing tantalic acid. Zirconium could not be detected in any of the specimens.P. P. PILIPEKKO (Bull. Acad. Sci. St. PStersbourg 1909 1116-11 18).-The author describes crystals of bertrandite occurring in the aquamarice deposits of the Altai mountains. The crystals have a glassy lustre are mostly colourlees and transparent and form either long plates or prisms elongated along the x axis; D*56 2.603 hardness 6. Their composition is as follows C. H. D. Bertrandite from Altai. SiO,. A1,Oj. Fe,O,. CaO G10. €120. Total. 50.12 trace trace trace 40.67 8.87 99.86 This bertrandite is formed as a result of the weathering of beryl and itself undergoes further change. Sardinian Minerals Species from the Province of Sassari. AURELIO SEKRA (Atti R. Accad. Lincei 1909 [v] 18 ii 348-350. Compare Abstr. 1909 ii 492 494).-,4 sample of heulandite in which the angle 110 IT0 had a value of about 47O was found to have the composition 810,.A1,0,. CaO. MgO. Na,O. K20. H,O. Total. 61'12 15.61 6.04 0.53 2.23 0-94 14.32 100.79 corresponding with the formula (Ca,';Mg,Na K)0,A1,03,Si0,,5 H,O. As typical heulandite contains SiO 59 2; Al,O 16.8 ; CaO 9.2 and H,O 14*8% the abnormal value of the angle 110 IT0 depands on the variations in chemical composition. T. H. P. A. sample of mesolite from 'L Su Marralzu " gave on analysis SiO,. A1,03. CnO. MgO. Na,O. K,O. H,O. Total. 50.85 21.95 12.02 0.08 1-72 trace 14-61 10123 and a sample of Smithsonite froin the Sos Enattos (Lula) mines ZnO. PeO. CaO. cop Total. 62'60 1 2 2 1.53 35.77 101'12 T. H. P. Lujaurites from Pilandsberg (Transvaal). H. A. BROUWER (Compt. rend. 1009,149 1006-100S}.-The analyses of two different kinds of lujaurite from the Transvaal are given.The one (I) is very similar to lujizurite from the Kola peninsula (Lapland),-whilst the other (11) is rich in aegyrine and eudialyte SiO,. TiO,. ZiO,. A1,0,. Fe,O,. PeO. MnO. CaO. I. 52.35 0 5 9 0.39 14.11 7.98 2.17 0'62 4'65 11. 51'35 2'75 0.54 11-45 9-40 2'41 1-25 3 27 MgO. Ii,O. Na,O. CO,. H,O. Total. I. 0.66 2.78 0 30 1 *50 3.20 100-30 11. 0'54 2.52 10*80 - 3.20 99-48MINERALOGICAL CHEMISTRY. ii. 49 As compared with other lujaurites these are rich in lime because of tho presence of calcite. The decrease in A1,0 and increase of Fe,O in (11) as compared with (I) is due to the former being rich in aegyrine. T. 8. P. Rhonite from Puy de Barneire at Saint-Sandoux. ALFRED LACROIX (Bull.SOC. fpanq. Min. 1909 32 325-331. Compare Abstr. 1907 ii 972; 1909 ii 587).-Large black crystals with a brilliant greasy to metallic lustre are present in a doleritic nephelinite at this locality. Under the microscope these resemble the rhonite of the Rhon mountains but owing to the depth of colour and intense pleochroism their optical characters could not be completely determined; D 3.56. The following analysis by F. Pisani gives the formula ( Na,E,H),Ca,(Fe,Mg)15( Al,Fe),,( Si,Ti)2109,,. SiO,. TiO,. A1,0,. Fe,O,. FeO. MgO. CaO. Na,O. K,O. H,O. Total. 30.90 8.04 17-65 6.80 15.20 9'08 12-20 0.76 0-61 0.20 100'64 L. J. S. Deposits from the Mineral Water of the Rohitach Springe Styria. HANS LEITMEIER (Zeitsch. Kryst. Min. 1909 47 104-123). -The waters of the springs at Rohitsch contain carbon dioxide with considerable amounts of magnesium carbonate sodium sulphate and carbonate and much less calcium carbonate etc.Fine crystal groups of aragonite have been deposited naturally by these waters and quartz crystals 4 cm. in length are also noted. The mineral water was allowed to evaporate slowly in the air at temperatures of 2O 13' and 20'. At the two higher temperatures acicular rhombic crystals of MgC0,,3H20 (anal. I) identical with the mineral nesque- honite were formed after some days; and later there was a deposit of indistinct crystals of aragonite. When however the evaporation took place at the lower temperature (2") there was after one-and- a-half months a deposit of large tabular monoclinic crystals of the pentahydrate MgC0,,5H20 (anal. 11). This salt is not formed at temperatures above 6'. It commences to lose water in the air a t 20° and at 60° four-fifths is lost; at 100' the loss is 44.68% and at 300° 5 1.69%. as the mineral lansfordite (3MgC0,,Mg(OH),,21H20) and as the supposed tetrahydrate of magneslum carbonate described by Marignac. These three thus appear to be identical the analyses of the last two having been made on partly dehydrated material These crystals have the same geometrical constants [a b c = 1,6079 1 0,9524 ; p = 78'36'1 MgO. CaO. co,. H,O. Total. Sp. gr I. 28.52 - [31-09] 40'03 99.64 1.854 11. 23'18 trace 25.21 51'69 100-08 1.688 L. J. S VOL. XCVIII. ii. 4