224 MlsccllanvoKS Intelligence, 



limestone of the Black-rock, near Cork. They are from the fourth 

 to the half of an inch in length, and about half their length in width ; 

 they are smooth, externally, for the most part, and sometimes con- 

 siderably bright ; they are of the colour termed smoky, or brown 

 quartz, externally, and may easily be separated from the hmestone, 

 leaving a cavity of their exact form. On trying to cleave them, they 

 yielded parallel to one or other of the planes of the pyramid, like 

 common quartz, but at such fractures appeared to consist of alter- 

 nate and concentric prisms of smoky transparent quartz, and of gray 

 opaque, and somewhat granular limestone. On applying muriatic 

 acid to the surface, effervescence occurred along the gray parts, 

 proving the presence of limestone, but soon ceased : after an action 

 continued for some weeks, the gray parts became cellular, and so 

 soft, as to admit of being scraped by a knife. Mr. Phillips says, it 

 seems reasonable to conclude that such part of the gray substance 

 as does not yield to the action of the acid is sihceous or quartzose ; 

 and that the prime difference between it and the smoky quartz sur- 

 rounding it consists in the different circumstances of crystalline ag- 

 gregation under which they are deposited. The crystals, with the 

 somewhat analogous case of the Fontainebleau sandstone, may 

 serve to assist in the illustration of some points relative to the laws 

 of affinity, as operating in the formation of crystals. — Phil. Mag. 

 N. S., ii. 123. 



6. Native Iron not iWe^eonc— The following notice is by Mr. 

 C. A. Lee. Native iron, on Canaan mountain, a mile and a half 

 from the South Meetinghouse (Conn. U. S.). This is particularly 

 interesting, as it is the first instance in which native iron, not me- 

 teoric, has been found in America. It was discovered by Major 

 Barrall, of Canaan, while employed in surveying, many years ago. 

 It formed a thin stratum, or plate, in a mass of mica slate, which 

 seemed to have been broken from an adjoining ledge. It presents 

 the usual characters of native iron, and is easily malleable. For 

 some distance around the place where it was found the needle will 

 not traverse, and a great proportion of the tallest trees have been 

 struck with lightning. "Whether these phenomena are connected 

 with the existence of a large mass of native iron, I leave for others 

 to determine : the facts, however, may be relied on. 



The specimen has been examined chemically, by Mr. Shepherd, 

 at Yale College. It is invested with highly crystalline plumbago, 

 and splits by the intervention of plates of plumbago into pyramidal 

 and tetrahedral masses. It is not equal to meteoric iron in mal- 

 leability, toughness, and flexibility, and has not the silvery white 

 appearance of that iron. Its specific gravity is from 5.95 to 6.72. 

 It has native steel intermingled in it, but contains no nickel, or any 

 other alloy. 



Major Barrall has only been to the place where this iron occurred 

 onccy and no other person has ever been to the place, or knows 

 where it is. — Silliman^s Journal^ xii. 154. 



