P:LISHA MITCHELL SCIENTIFIC SOCIETY. 59 



were twinned parallel to the orthopinacoid. Cruciform twins 

 like the fio:ure were observed. 



In the respects of size, color, being twinned and in the occur- 

 rence of several planes, they differed from those found at Mil- 

 holland's Mill, in the same county, but they were not quite as 

 smnotldy and perfectly developed. An analysis, by Penfield, 

 showed only a normal monnzite with 1.48 per cent, of thoria as 

 impurity (?). Specific gravity, 5.203. Nothing finer, in this 

 species, has as yet been discov^ered over the entire world. 



Apatite (phosphate of lime). — This species is rare in this 

 State, as a crystallized mineral. Excepting at the Ray mica 

 mine, in Yancey county, where crystals were found one-half 

 to two inches thick, having a gray color, I do not remember to 

 have noticed any evidences of its occurrence outside of Alexan- 

 der county. The discovery of fine crystals in this State is nota- 

 ble only from its scientific value, since the crystals were small 

 and quite rare. 



In many of the gem bearing '^pockets" opened-out in Sharpens 

 Township, Alexander county, small apatite crystals have been 

 found, i)ut not until July, 1886, were any found that were 

 worthy of particular notice. In a ''pocket'' 10 X 2 X 6 feet 

 (which was found forty feet below the surface) among splendid 

 crystallizations of quartz, muscovite, siderite, dolomite, rutile and 

 emerald, several patches of apatite crystals were noticed. It 

 was plainly evident from tlieir loose attachment and perfection 

 that they were the last crysiallization of the " [)ocket.'' For the 

 most part they were rather long, slender, six-sided prisms of a 

 pale bluish-green color and transparent. Few were more than 

 one inch long. They were undistinguishable from beryls in 

 their appearance, though beryls rarely occur so brilliant and per- 

 fect in outward form. In one corner of the pocket a small 

 group of muscovite crystals were fountl on which were implanted 

 a few very brilliant wine-yellow transparent crystals of apatite. 

 They were of an entirely tlifferent habit from the other apatites 



