2.08 Scientific Intelligence — Chemistry and Mineralogy, 



sund- Fjord, in the neighbourhood of Brevig, in Norway. It was also 

 met with by Scheerer on the island of Lovoe, quite close to the spot where 

 the Thorite was discovered by Pastor Esmark some years ago. Like 

 the latter, it occurs in zircon-syenite, and, as it appears, more particu- 

 larly in the variety in which the hornblende is replaced by black mica. 

 Elaolite frequently accompanies this mineral, and, in the form of greenish 

 grey, or reddish grains, is disseminated in the white or greyish white 

 felspar which constitutes the principal mass of the syenite. Some of 

 the specimens collected likewise contain embedded zircon and pyrochlore. 

 The following are the mineralogical characters of Wohlerite : — It occurs 

 embedded in syenite, sometimes in angular grains, sometimes, though 

 less frequently, in broad, prismatic or tabular crystals, of which, how- 

 ever, no exact crystallographic description can be given, as their bound- 

 ing surfaces seem to be very imperfectly developed, and as it is very dif- 

 ficult to separate them from the surrounding mass. Indications of 

 cleavage in one direction are perceptible, but that only in some instances. 

 The colour is yellow, of various shades, passing into brownish, viz. light 

 yellow, wine yellow, honey yellow, brownish yellow. These tints are 

 not pure, but are mixed with more or less grey. Colour of the powder, 

 yellowish white. The degree of transparency varies very much as in 

 the zircon. The crystalline faces exhibit a vitreous lustre, and the frac- 

 ture surfaces a resinous lustre. Fracture more or less conchoidal, some- 

 times passing into splintery and granular. Hardness between felspar 

 and apatite. Sp. gr. 3.41. It is very difficult to determine quantitatively 

 the exact chemical constitution of the Wohlerite, and Scheerer gives the 

 following analysis as only approximative. No. I. is the result of a com- 

 plete analysis, and No. II. that of a correcting investigation: — 



I. II. 



Silica, . . . 30.62 



Tantalic acid, . . 14.47 



Zirconia, . . . 15.17 / 63.97 . . . 63.25 



Oxide of iron, . . 2.12 



Protoxide of manganese, 1.55 



Lime, . . . 26.19 25.97 



Soda, . . . 7.78 . • . . . 8,39 



Magnesia, . . . 0.40 0.45 



Water, . . . 0.24 



98.54 

 Possibly there may also be traces of potash and oxide of tin. 



13. LeonharditCj a new Mineral. — Professor Blum has given this name to a 

 substance resembling Laumonite, and hitherto included under that spe- 

 cies. In Poggendorff's Annals we find the following description and 

 analysis by the discoverer and M. W. Delff: — Two kinds of pseu- 

 domorphoses have for some time been known to be exhibited by the 

 Prelmite occurring in fissures in the somewhat decomposed diorite 



