Scientific Intelligence — Geology and Mineralogy, 187 



such cases a loud noise is heard at the time the water disappears, 

 and, when the bottom of the lake is laid bare, large clefts are visible, 

 occasioned by the severity of the frost.'' — Narrative of a Journey 

 round the World, hy Sir George Simpson, vol. ii., p. 381. 



5. Chiolite, a new mineral from Miask; By Fr. v. Worth. — 

 Chiolite is a massive mineral resembling cryolite. It occurs granu- 

 lar, with a shining lustre, and presenting a greyish, yellowish, or 

 snow-white colour. The streak is snow-white. The hardness is be- 

 tween calc-spar and lluor-spar. Specific gravity of the masses, 

 2*6209 ; of the powder, 2-770. The structure of the massive pieces 

 is imperfectly foliated, and the surface of foliation exhibits a lustre 

 between greasy and vitreous. The specimen exhibited by M. Worth 

 indicated that it was associated with lithic mica, massive fluor-spar, 

 and quartz. It melts easily in the flame of a candle, but at first 

 decrepitates. Its transparency increases in water. 



According to the chemical analysis of A. Chodner, it consists of 

 aluminum 16*48, sodium 25*72, potassium 0'58, magnesium 0*76, 

 yttrium 1*04, fluorine 56-00 = 100-38, giving the formula 2 Na Fl, 

 and also in its higher specific gravity. The name chiolite is from the 

 Greek word to snow. — Verhandl. Min. Ges. zu St Petersburg, 

 1845-46. 



6. Arsenic in Mineral Waters. — Arsenic has been found by 

 M. Valchner in various mineral waters at Viesbade in Germany, and 

 this has been confirmed by M. Figuer. The last-mentioned chemist 

 has ascertairied that arsenic is in the state of arsenous acid, and that 

 the proportion is nearly 0*045 grammes in 100 litres of the water. 

 He detected no arsenic in the waters of Passy. — L^Institut, No. 670. 



7. Nitrification. — ^M. Dumas states, that when a current of 

 moist air containing ammonia is directed upon a solution of potash, 

 the temperature being at- 100° C, a quantity of nitrate of potash is 

 formed throuo-li a chano-e of the ammonia into nitric acid. He re- 

 marks that this experiment, which accords with the labours of M. 

 Kuhlman on nitrification, was suggested to him by observations which 

 he had recently made upon the conversion of sulphuretted hydrogen 

 into sulphuric acid. — Vlnstitut^ No. 674. 



8. Phosphate of Lime in Organic Beings. — M. Dumas attributes 

 the disaggregation of bones on exposure in the soil, and the removal 

 of the phosphate of lime by water, to two causes, the one of feeble 

 intensity, and acting rarely ; the other of great force, and always in 

 action. The first depends on the ammoniacal salt in waters, which salt 

 enables them to dissolve phosphate of lime ; this salt is everywhere 

 present, but in so small a quantity as to have comparatively little in- 

 fluence. The second depends on carbonic acid, which appears to be 

 the true solvent of phosphate of lime ; for waters charged with car- 

 bonic acid, dissolve large quantities of it. Alkalies and ebullition 

 separate tho carbonic acid, and precipitate the salt, 'i'he action of 

 thib ucid is so powerful, that shavings of ivory placed in a bottle of 



