abstracts: mineralogy 453 



(3) steep-walled alkali flats, covering 165 square miles, formed chiefly 

 by wind erosion ; (4) dunes of gypsum sand, covering 270 square miles, 

 on the leeward side of the alkali flats; (5) sink holes developed in the 

 gypseous valley fill; and (6) numerous large mounds produced by 

 springs. 



The basal granite is unconformably overlain by Carboniferous rocks 

 which comprise Mississippian limestone at the bottom and limestone, 

 red beds, gypsum, etc., of the Magdalena and Manzano groups at the 

 top. Cretaceous deposits, chiefly of the Dakota to Montana groups, 

 are well represented; also younger intrusive rocks. Coal was observed 

 in Carboniferous as well as in the Cretaceous strata. 



Water occurs in valley fill and in Cretaceous and Carboniferous rock. 

 About 150 analyses were made. The waters differ widely in chemical 

 character and concentration, several distinct types being recognized 

 and correlated with different rock formations. Various relations of 

 alkali in soil and of zones of vegetation to water supplies are described. 



O. E. M. 



MINERALOGY. — Mineralogic Notes, Series 3. Waldemar T. Schal- 

 ler. U. S. Geological Survey Bulletin No. 610. Pp. 164, with 5 

 plates and 99 figures. 1916. 



New minerals described are as follows: 



Koechlitiite, bismuth molybdate, Bi 2 3 Mo0 3 , from Schneeberg, 

 Germany, as small greenish-yellow rectangular plates, orthorhombic, 

 simple and twinned. 



Inyoite, from Inyo County, California, as white rhombic-shaped 

 monoclinic crystals, 2CaO3B 2 3 -13H 2 0, largely altered to meyer- 

 hofferite. 



Meyerhofferite, alteration of inyoite, colorless to white, prismatic, 

 triclinic crystals, 2CaO3B 2 3 -7H 2 0. 



Lucinite, dimorphous form of variscite, A1 2 3 -P 2 5 -4H 2 0, from 

 Lucin, Utah. Very small green, octahedral-shaped orthorhombic 

 crystals, directly associated with variscite. 



Yelardenite, from Velardena, Mexico, 2CaOAl 2 3 -Si0 2 , tetragonal, 

 is an essential component of the "gehlenites" and enters into the com- 

 position of the "melilites." 



Fremontite is the name proposed to replace the objectionable term 

 natramblygonite for the hydrous sodium aluminum phosphate member 

 of the amblygonite group, found in Colorado. Triclinic crystals of 

 fremontite are described. 



