THE MINERAL COLLECTOR 



i73 



and in thorn were found the abundant 

 masses of kaolin. Some of them were 

 pure white, while others were stained 

 various shades of yellow and brown. 

 Some of these kaolin masses were 

 larger than one's fist. The resistance 

 of quartz to decay was well illustrated 

 in the dikes; for, while all the other 

 minerals were decomposed, the quartz 

 stood out as firm and resistant as ever. 

 So rotted were all the rocks that with 

 the exception of the hard parts of the 

 east and south wall already spoken 

 about, the whole cellar was due with 

 pick and shovel. 



In passing, it may be said that the 

 history of the excavation well illus- 

 trates the necessity of speed in collect- 

 ing in openings of this character; for, 

 before the cellar was completely dug, 

 the foundation walls began to be 

 thrown up. This, of course, quickly 

 rendered the place inaccessible to the 

 collector, though it is hoped that when 

 some of the neighboring lots .-hall be 

 excavated, equally fine opportunities 

 will be offered. 



Geodes. 



BY HOWARD R. GOODWIN, PHILADELPHIA, 

 PENNSYLVANIA. 



"Do you say there is no beauty 

 Is this rock so gray and rough? 



Take a hammer, strike upon it, 

 It is hollow sure enough 

 And, within, a fairy grotto 

 Flashes on the dazzled sight; 

 All its walls o'er'aid with crystals, 

 Sparkling as they find the light!" 



Lucy Wells Morse. 



When exhibiting my collection of 

 minerals to visitors, I notice that every 

 one is interested in the geodes, named 

 from the Greek "gaeodes" meaning 

 earth-like. These are usually rough 

 and unattractive until broken open by 

 the hammer of the mineralogist. Then, 

 — well, the few lines quoted above tell 

 the story. One of the numerous fine 

 examples of these geodes in my collec- 

 tion is here illustrated. It is ten inches 

 long and about five in depth, the outer 

 part of banded chalcedony lined with 

 crystals of amethyst, and is from 

 Brazil where many fine specimens are 

 obtained. 



Some curious geodes of chalcedony 

 containing liquid inclusions are found 

 in Uruguay, one in my collection being 

 about two thirds full of liquid which 

 is clearly visible through the thin shell 

 of semi-transparent chalcedony. These 

 hydrolites probably contain the solu- 

 tion from which the crystal lining is 

 deposited. 



Some fine little geodes of chalcedony 

 are found in the Bad Lands of South 



A CHALCEDONY GEODE FROM BRAZIL. 



