44 JOURNAIv OF THE 



The monazite is contained in the main constituents 

 of the granitic rocks, in the quartz, feldspar and mica, 

 thoug-h it appears to be more g-enerally confined to the 

 feldspar. 



Zircon may be regfarded as a constant associate; 

 among" the other usually associated minerals, of coeval 

 origin with the monazite, are xenotine, ferg'usonite, 

 sphene, rutile, brookite, ilmenite, cassiterite, magnetite, 

 and apatite; sometimes beryl, tourmaline, cyanite, co- 

 rundum, columbite, samarskite, uraninite, gummite, 

 autunite, gadolinite, hielmite and orthite. 



Among the principal secondary minerals found in as- 

 sociation with monazite, are rutile, brookite, anatase, 

 epidote, orthite, g^arnet, sillimanite, and staurolite. 



The economically valuable deposits of monazite are 

 found in the placer sands of streams and rivers, in the 

 irregular sedimentary sand deposits of the adjoining* 

 bottom lands and in the beach sands along* the seashore. 



The decomposition and disinteg^ration of the crystal- 

 line rocks, the original source of the mineral, has pro- 

 ceeded to considerable depths in certain localities, par- 

 ticularly in the southern unglaciated countries. By 

 erosion and secular movement the material is depos- 

 ited in the stream beds and there undergoes a natural 

 process of sorting* and concentration, the heavy mine- 

 rals being* deposited first and tog-ether. The richer 

 portions of these stream deposits are thus found near 

 the headwaters. The accompanying* plate shows one 

 of these small valleys (Lattimore's), three miles north- 

 east of Shelby, N. C, where all of the underlying* 

 g*ravel is being* dug* and washed for monazite (see also 

 plate facing p. ), and where the sand in the bed of 

 the small stream is also being' washed for the same pur- 

 pose. The geographical areas over which such work- 



