462 RECORD OF SCIENCE FOR 1887 AND 1888. 



morpliitt', mimetite, camp^lite, by Micbel; of p.Mochroite, by de Schul- 

 teu. Papers upon the above subjects will be found in volumes ix and 

 X of tbe Bulletin of the French Mineralogical Society. 



A paper of especial interest ou this class of topics is that of Doel- 

 ter^ on the svnlhesis of the micas by fusing together various silicates 

 wit h metallic fluorides. Thus the fusion of au aluminous hornblende or 

 augite with sodium or magnesium fluoride yielded a magnesia mica 

 (meroxene) ; from an aluminous augite, with little iron, a mica resem- 

 bling phlogo[)ite was obtained, and fiom glaucophane a magnesia mica 

 containing a considerable amount of soda. By fusing together the sili- 

 cate K2Al2Si208 with potassium or sodium fluoride in potassium fluo- 

 silicate, muscovite was obtained. With magnesium silicate a mica near 

 phlogopite was the result, and if iron silicate was also used a brown 

 mica near meroxene was obtained. The same potassium silicate, with 

 lithium silicate aud jjotassium or sodium fluoride, yielded a mica with 

 large axial angle. When pennine was fused with potassium silicate a 

 product resembling phlogopite was the result; a magnesium garnet un- 

 der like conditions, a meroxene mica low in iron. Andalusite fused 

 with the fluorides of potassium, of silicon, and aluminium yielded a 

 muscovite, and by the addition of lithia andiron, a mica near zinnwal- 

 dite. From vesuvianite mica was seldom obtained, the common result 

 being scapolite. The author also describes his results in obtaining the 

 calcium silicate, wollastouite, by fusing together CaSiOs with calcium 

 aud sodium ttuorideSc There have also been recent contributions to the 

 same subject by Hautefeuille^ and by Kroustchoff? 



NEW MINERAL OCCURRENCES. 



A point ot much interest is the discovery of a diamond-like form of 

 carbon in the meteoric stone of Novo-Urei, Penza, Eussia, which fell 

 September 22, 188G. This is described by Jerofeieff aud Latschinoft".* 

 The meteorite w\as not unusual in general appearance, having a dark- 

 gray color and consisted chiefly of olivine, augite, aud nickeliferous iron. 

 In the course of the analysis, however, it was found that from 2 to 2J 

 per cent, was not attacked by acids ; nearly two-thirds of this proved 

 to consist of amorphous carbon, and the remainder in the form of light- 

 gray grains was also nearly pure carbon. These grains had a specific 

 gravity of 3.1, and a hardness sufficient to scratch corundum, so that 

 the conclusion w^as reached that they were true diamond, perhaps in 

 a massive form like the carbonado. The occurrence of graphitic carbon 

 in isometric form in an Australian iron is mentioned under the descrip- 

 tion of cliftonite beyond. 



The rare aluminium silicate, dumortierite, remarkable for its fine blue 



' Miu. petr. Mitth., 1888, vol. X, 67. 



-C. R., vol. CIV., 508. 



3 Miu. petr. Mitth., vol, ix, 55. 



*Verhaiidl. Russ. Min. Ges. at St. Petersburg, vol. xxiv, 263. 



