ELISHA MITCHELL SCIENTIFIC SOCIETY. 53 



yet been foiuul in Nortli Carolina. Perfectly clear crystals of 

 faint yellow tints and different shades of yellowish-green have 

 been found at the emerald locality, and fine gems have been cut 

 of these pale colors which were very brilliant. Often a crystal 

 of spodumene will be almost colorless or faintly yellowish for 

 three-fourths its length and then terminate with a (;rovvn of pute 

 emerald color. This phenonienon is peculiar, but not confined to 

 spodumene; for some tourmalines, sapphires, sphenes, etc., show 

 a similar diverse arrangement of coloring matter in the same 

 crystal, 



Pseudom()rj)hs of pinite, muscovite and '^ gillingite" after 

 spodumene crystals occur at the Alexander county locality much 

 the same, though in miniature, as those at Branchville, Conn., 

 and elsewhere. The Alexander county spodumene, thus far in 

 my experience, is an implanted mineral on the walls of open 

 pockets and is not an imbedded mineral as is the fact elsewhere 

 in the United States. This may explain its gem character in 

 North Carolina, 



Garnet (pyrope and almandine varieties). — Some very cred- 

 itable gems of brownish-red, cherry-red and purplish-red hues 

 have been found in Alexander county, though no regular deposits 

 have been located as yet. A few of the cut stones sold for from 

 $3 to |10 each. One four carat gem brought $20. 



The locality eight miles south-east of Morganton has produced 

 several tons of a very compact and perfect garnet, which have 

 been crushed into different grades of fineness for use as a "sand- 

 paper" and shipped in that form to Northern parties. 



[The locality stated as ''Marshall's farm, where garnets are 

 found two feet in diameter," seems to be erroneous. People in 

 Alexander county cannot locate it, and the size stated seems too 

 great.] 



Zircon (silicate of zirconia). — The locality on Green River, 

 Henderson county, at the old Freeman place, has been re-opened, 

 and the yield to date has been upwards of twenty tons (40,000 

 pounds). This and the adjoining Jones mine have produced 

 about thirty tons altogether, most of which has passed through 

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