View Article Online / Journal Homepage / Table of Contents for this issue 426 ABSTRACTS OF CHEMICAL PAPERS. Mineralogical Chemistry. Silver Amalgam from the Sala Mines. By T. NORDSTR~M (Jahrb. f. Mi%.,1882, 2, Ref., 361-362).-The silver amalgam found at Sala, in dolomite with quartz and blende, has the following compo- sition :- Zn. Pb. Insol. Ag- Hg- Fe. CaCO,. gangue. Total. 46.30 51.12 0.81 trace 0.21 1.01 99.45 Published on 01 January 1883. Downloaded 27/10/2014 16:48:55. With this exception, silver amalgam has never been found in Sweden. B. H. B. A Remarkable Platinum Nugget. By P. COLLIER(Jahrb. f. Min., 1883, 1, Ref., 27).-This was found near Plattsburg,'New Pork. It was 4 cm. long, 3 wide, and 2 high, and weighed 104.4 grm. ; it con- sisted of a mixture of 46 per cent. Pt with 54 per cent. chrome-iron. The former had a sp. gr. 17.35, whilst that of the mixture was only 10.446. The analysis of the chrome-iron gave the following result :- Cr,03. FeO. Also3. SiO,. CaO. MgO. Total. 54.944 31.567 5.690 3.731 3-405 0.941 100.278 The platinum had the following composition :- Pt. Fe. Pd. Ir. Rh. Cu. 81,03. CaO. Mg. 82.814 11.040 3.105 0.627 0.286 0.397 1.953 0.062 0.030 Total = 100.314. Osmium was present, but the amount could not be estimated. The nugget was somewhat magnetic. B. H. B. View Article Online MINERALOGICAL CHEMISTRY. 42 7 Substance Resembling Dopplerite from a Peat Bog near Scranton, Pa. By H. C. LEWIS(Jukrb. f. Nin., 1883, 1, Ref., 31- %?).-This substance occurs in irregular veins. When exposed to the air, it becomes more elastic. It is black, and burns slowly without flame. It is soluble only in caustic potash, and gives a dark brown solution. From this solution it is thrown down by acids as a reddish- brown precipitate. When completely dried, the substance is brittle and almost as hard as coal (H. = 2.5) ; it also acquires the lustre and concholdnl fracture of genuine coal. It burns with a yellow flame. Sp. gr: = 1.032. Streak dark-brown. The dried substance has the following composit'ion Y C. H. 0 + N. Total. 30.971 5.526 63.503 100 corresponding with the formula C,O'EE&,. It resembles dopplerite in irs physical characters, but differs from the latter by the small per- centage of carbon and the large amount of oxygen it contains. The author is of opinion that it is an intermediate product between peat and coal, and proposes the general name Phytocollite for all similar substances of variable composition. B. H. B. Idrialite. By R, SCHARIZER(Jahrh. f. Milz., 1883, 1, Ref., 31).- In the quicksilver mines of Idria a green resin has been found ; this consists of idrialite in a tolerably pure state. It is a massive, pista- chio-peen mineral containing idrialin, C,0H5602. Its sp. gr. is greater than 1, but less than 1.85. It has a hardness of 1-2, and an uneven fracture. When dissolved in hot concentrated sulphuric acid, it gives a deep indigo-blue solution, and on distillation gives a straw-yellow product which is pure idrialine. The dark-coloured mineral formerly hescribed as idridite contains only a very small amount of idrialin. " Published on 01 January 1883. Downloaded 27/10/2014 16:48:55. B. H. B. Artificial Production of Mellite. By C. FRIEDRLand M. BALSOHN(Jahrb. f. Nin., 1882, 2, Ref., 3O--Sl).-By allowing solu- tions of mellitate of sodium and of an aluminium salt to mix very slowly for about a fortnight, crystals may be obtained of sufficient size to examine crystallographically ; they had all the properties of the natural crystals. H. B. Cryolite, Pachnolite, and Thomsenolite. By C. ELEIN(Jahrb. f. Min., 1882, 2, 89-90).-Brandl, in a recent paper before the Bavarian Academy, described the analyses of specimens of the above minerals, which had been crystallographically determined by Groth. Their formula: are A1F3,3NaP; AlP3,CaPz,NaF,and A1F3,CaF2,NaF,H20 respectively. The author, whilst admitticg the service done by Brand1 in determining the tque composition of pachnolite, points out that the composition of cryolite and of thomsenolite was already determined with certainty, as in 1877 he showed that the crystals examined by Wohler were in reality cryolite, that the crystals of thomsenolite also examined by Wohler-who then called it pachno- lite-had all the properties ascribed to it by Kreuner, and re-analysed 292 View Article Online 428 ABSTRACTS OF CHEMICAL PAPERS. gave the formula adopted by Wohler, which is the same as that given by Brandl. H. B. Minerals Found near Massa in the Apuanian Alps. By-A. D'ARCHIARDI (Juhrb. f. &Fin., 1882, 2, Ref., 353-354).-1n the Frigida valley, near Massa, not far from the celebrated Carrara marble quarries, a lode comes to the surface. It consists of iron spar with quartz and copper pyrites, together with magnetic pyrites and a dark- grey metallic mineral, which the author believes to be coppite. Blende is also occasionally found, and a grey fibrous mheral not yet investi- gated. The copper pyrites contains 26-30 per scent. Cu, and has a sp. gr. of 4.1. The magnetic pyrites consists of S. Fe . Ni. 39.65 58.18 2.17 per cent., thus indicating the formula (FeNi)&. To the grey mineral, the author gives the name af Frigidite. It rarely occurs crystallised, being usually in granular masses. Sp. Fr. = 4.8. H. = 4. Before the blowpipe, it acts,like tetrahedrite, which it very much resembles in appearance. The analysis gave the numbers under 1 : the results obtained, after subtracting lthe impurities and reducing to 100, are shown under II- S. Sb. Cu. Fe. Ni. Ag. Zn. SiO,. Total. I. 29-60 25.59 19.32 12.67 7.55 0.83 trace 2.20 96.96 11. 31.23 27-00 20.39 13.37 7.9'7 0.04 trace - 100*00 111. 27.01 29.61 30.10 13.08 - - - - 99.80 It is, therefore, not Becchi's coppite, the composition of which is given under 111. The above composition may be interpreted in various ways, and all Published on 01 January 1883. Downloaded 27/10/2014 16:48:55. the interpretations agree equally well with the analysis. The mineral may 'be regarded as a mixture of nickel tetrahedrite with copper pyrites, as absomewhett different tetrahedrite with ullman- nite and imn pyrites, or 1astly.as.a mixture of tetrahedrite with anti- mony-nickel. There is, however, no doubt that €rigidite is an impure tetra hed r i t e. B. H. B. Galena with Sctohedral Cleavage. By A. BRDN(J~hl-6. f. Min., 1883, 1, Ref., 9--10).-1n the Glacier de Lmbant (Chaine du Mt. Blanc) the mthor found a fine twin crystal of galena; t,he twin face was 0, and thecrystal was formed the faces of the octohedron and the cube. The ocrtohedral cleavage was very distinct. Sp. gr. = 7.67. It contained sow Ibimkh and a little iron. This is the third known example of galena with an ochhedral clea,vage; the other two are from the Habach valley and from Perpsylvania respectively. B. H. B. Analysis of Miargyrite from Pribram. By J. RUMPF(Jahrb. f. Mivi., 1882, 2, Ref., 17).-The analysis gives 21.68 S, 41.15 Sb, 36.71 Ag, agreeing well with the accepted formula, Ag,S.Sb&. H. B. View Article Online MINERALOGICAL CHEXISTRY. 429 Alaskaite, a New Bismuth Mineral. By G. A. KONIG(Juhrb. f. Min., 1883, 1, Ref., 25-26).-Alaskaite occurs with tetrahedrite and copper pyrites in Colorado. The colour is lead-grey to white; the lustre metallic. The mineral is soft and has a sp. gr. of 6.878. It decrepitates on being heated, and melts without the formation of a sublimate. It is decomposed by hot hydrochloric acid, leaving n residue of silver chloride with copper pyrites and heavy spar. The analysis gave the following results :- Sb. Bi. Pb. Ag. Cu. Zn. S. I. - 51.49 12-02 8-08 3-00 0-26 15.72 11. 0.51 46.87 9.70 7-10 2.85 0-64 1507 111. - 51-35 17.51 3-00 3-74 0.20 16.21 The ratio of R : Bi : S is here 1: 2 : 4 ; the formula is then RBizS4, or (PbZnAgzCu,)S + BiA. B. H. B. Compact Magnetic Iron Ore from Cogne, Valley of Aosta. By M. ZECCHINI(Jahrb. f. Min., 1882, 2, Ref., 386).-With this ore, a small quantity (about 6 per cent.) of an apparently rhombic mineral is found. Analysis I gave the composition of the magnetic iron ore; Analysis I1 that of the accompanying mineral :- Insoluble silicates H20. and free Si02. Fe,O,. FeO. MgO. CaO. I. 0.60 5-54 18.09 73.47 1.65 0.55 11. 11.19 SiOz 4315 410 - 40.31 trace Nickel and chromium coo. oxides. Total. I. 0.21 trace 100*11 11. - I 98-75 Published on 01 January 1883. Downloaded 27/10/2014 16:48:55. B. H. B. Occurrence of Iron Ores at Taberg in Smaaland (Sweden). By A. E. TORNEBOHM(Jahrb. f. Min., 1882, 2, Ref., 66-67).-The ore is associated with a variety of hyperite, rich in olivine and mag- netite, and the whole forms together an immense lense-shaped mass. Its period of formation is more remote than that of most other Swedish ores.