CHEMISTRY. 231 



A New TJialUum Mineral. — A selenide of copper, silver, and thal- 

 lium has been found in Norway and analyzed by M. Nordens- 

 kiold. It contains 17 per cent, of thallium. 



Minerals of Nevjfoiuidland. — Recent investigation has proved 

 that the island of Newfoundland possesses mineral treasures in 

 large variety and abundance. Since the discovery has been made, 

 the i)i-oject has been revived of building a railway from St. Jc^im's 

 across the country to the western shores of the island. The pro- 

 jectors of the road have secured a tract of land 20 miles in width, 

 and extending over the whole length of the contemplated route, 

 the land being wonderfully rich in copper ore of the very best 

 qualit}'. The railroad will open up the entire inland country, and 

 render it accessible for mining operations. 



Minerals of California, — Professor Whitney reports that of the 

 64 elementary substances existing in nature, so far as known to 

 chemists, there are but 36 which have yet been proved to occur in 

 California in mineral coml)ination, and 23 elements are wanting on 

 the Pacific coast. Of these, a few are extremely rare, but the 

 absence of others is surprising. Fluorine, a substance of very 

 general distribution, in its most abundant source, fluor-spar, seems 

 entirely wanting in California, although it may yet be discovered 

 in the micas. Taking the whole Pacific coast, from British Co- 

 lumbia to Chili, the following facts appear: The paucity of spe- 

 cies, considering the extent of region as compared with other 

 parts of the worhl ; the remarkable absence of prominent sili- 

 cates, especially of the zeolites ; the wide spread of the precious 

 metals ; the abundance of copper ores, and comparative absence 

 of tin and lead; the similarity in the mineralized condition of the 

 silver; the absence as vein-stone of fluor; no mineral species 

 peculiar to the coast. 



Iron in Algeria. — The mineral wealth of Algeria is represented 

 to be inexhaustible. At the iron mine Makta-el-Hadeel, near 

 Bone, the mineral in some places crops up above the surface of 

 the ground, and is worked in immense, crater-like cuttings to a 

 depth of 100 feet. About 200,000 tons of ore, yielding 65 per 

 cent, of pure metal, are annually sent to France from these mines. 

 Copper in New Hampshire. — Professor Hitchcock, in a recent 

 public lecture, said there was enough copper ore in Gardner\s 

 Mountain, New Hampshire, to supply all the United States for 

 200 3'ears, the metalliferous vein extending for 5 miles and havino" 

 an average depth of 600 feet. 



Manganese in California. — According to the "Mining Journal," 

 black oxide of manganese has recently been found in great quan- 

 tity in a mine on the coast range of mountains "in California. 

 •Several hundred tons are ready for shipment at San Joaquin Cit}'. 

 Ariifcial Gems. — The base of these gems, as patented by the 

 superintendent of the Royal Porcelain AVorks at Berlin, is a flux 

 obtained bv melting together 6 drachms carbonate of soda, 2 

 drachms burned borax, 1 drachm saltpetre, 3 drachms minium, 

 and 1^ ounce purest white sand. To imitate in color the follow- 

 ing minerals, add to the flux the ingredients named in connection 

 with each gem: Sapphire — 10 grains carbonate of cobalt; Opal 



