MINERALOGY. 007 



Jordansmiilil, Silesia ; mouazite in crystals iu Corawall; also the redis- 

 covery of the very rare mineral couuellite, also in Cornwall. The long- 

 known localities in Danphiny, of antimony, octahedrite,axinite,epidote, 

 turnerite (monazite), &c., have been recently described by Groth, giving 

 interesting facts in regard to the relations of the different species. 



NEW MINERALS. 



Avalite.* — This is announced by S. M. Losanitsch as a new chromium 

 silicate, but, as will be seen, the investigation is too incomplete to es- 

 tablish its position as a new species very firmly. It is found at the 

 mercury mines of Mount Avala, near Belgrade, Servia, associated with 

 mercury, cinnabar, calomel, and so on. The material obtained for ex- 

 amination consisted of a green earthy mass, very impure, but from 

 which, by repeated decantation and boiling with aqua regia, the clay, 

 cinnabar, oxide of iron, &c., were separated, leaving only sand and 

 chromite mixed with the mineral. This, partially puritied, as described, 

 was seen under the microscope to consist of thin crystalline plates of 

 an emerald- green color. They were not attacked by acids, but were de- 

 composed by hydrofluoric acid and also by fusion with an alkali carbo- 

 nate; upon ignition it turned brown. Three analyses were made, of 

 which that made upon the purest material is as follows: 



Si02 Cr205 AI2O3 FeaOa K2O MgO H^O (hygr.) Ign. 



56-13 14-59 14-37 1-10 3-54 0-43 2-39 5-38 chromite 1-68=:; 99-61 



Considering the nature of the material the attempt to calculate a for- 

 mula is obviously of little use. 



Coppelenite. — A preliminary announcement only of this mineral is 

 given by W. C. Brogger. It is found in thick prismatic crystals, be- 

 longing to the hexagonal system, with a vertical axis equal to 0.4301. 

 The planes observed, prismatic, and basal with two pyramids, were well 

 polished. The color was brown, without distinct pleochroism, and the 

 luster on the fracture surfaces greasy ; the double refraction rather 

 strong and the axis negative ; specific gravity, 4-407. An analysis by 

 P. T. Cleve gave the following results : 



It was found in a small vein in augitesyeuite, on Lille Aro, in the 

 Langesunds fjord, Norway, a locality which has afforded a large number 

 of rare minerals of unusual composition ; cappelenite is not less remark- 

 able in these respects, and a fuller description will be awaited with in- 

 terest. 



Elpasolite. — This name is given by Cross and Hillebrand to a fluoride 

 of aluminum and potassium, found sparingly in small cavities in the 

 massive pachnolite of Colorado (report for 1884). It was observed in 



* For references see the list of niiueral species following. 



