REV. J. C. AT&INSOX ON TH£ MINERALS OF BJiRWiCKiiHIRE. 133 



reward us for the trouble. See, we have specimens, small it is true, 

 but very perfect, of mesotype. One such I have of nearly the size 

 of a walnut. Turning a little to one side, we behold a stone which 

 promises to be somewhat more patient of blows than the last ; I 

 fear, indeed, you will call it obstinate ; but if broken, it will pro- 

 bably repay your labour with divers crystals of black hornblende, 

 most of them small. But there may possibly be one among them 

 of an inch in diameter, and that is by no means a small one. 

 There is another piece of the same basaltic rock, which, in addition 

 to the hornblende, contains numerous small red crystals. They 

 are literally red iron ore.* I cannot name the variety ; and an 

 eminent mineralogist in Edinburgh, to whom a small specimen 

 was forwarded, required a larger one to enable him to do so. This 

 greenstone abounds with crystals of green feldspar, the majority of 

 them small, as in the case of the hornblende ; but, not unfrequently, 

 some among them are of large dimensions. I found one, opposite 

 Clarabad, of nearly two inches in length. It is in vain, however, to 

 try to obtain them detached from their matrix. Here, besides the 

 iron-ore and hornblende in this basalt, you see small crystals of 

 red feldspar, and others, smaller still, of olivine. This one is almost 

 yellow enough to be called chrysolite. This very cellular fragment 

 of porphyritic amygdaloid may perhaps yield something worthy of 

 notice. Ah ! here is a tolerably good specimen, on a small scale, 

 of healandite, besides many smaller crystalline almonds or amyg- 

 dala of the same mineral ; while those whitish concretions are 

 calcareous. Here, again, is another piece of amygdaloid, contain- 

 ing small crystals of calc-spar and agate ; while some of the cavities 

 are empty, with the exception of a little brown dust, which appears 

 to be oxide of iron ; and others enclose imperfect concretions, ac- 

 companied by the same oxide. Very minute crystals of leucite 

 may also, though rarely, be met with in amygdaloid of this kind ; 

 and almost as rarely, a little galena or sulphuret of lead. 



With this nodule again, and this close by it, I am quite per- 

 plexed. The former breaks like calcedony ; is partly of a dirty 

 olive white, and partly red ; is almost entirely composed of silica, 

 according to the blowpipe ; and is yet soft enough to yield to a 

 pin. The latter is quartz, with an imbedded substance, having an 



* The coloar is almost carmine red occasionally. 

 B. N. C. VOL. II. NO. Xni. ' L 



