96 JOUKISTAL OF THE MiTCHELL SoCIETY [AuQUSt 



ing all the other elements have been found in commercial 

 quantity in the Southern States. Monazite, a source of thoria, 

 and zircon, a source of zirconia, are described in considerable 

 detail beyond. 



Uranium Minerals: — At several of the pegmatitic dikes in 

 Mitchell and Yancey counties, ISTorth Carolina, the uranium 

 mineral, uraniuite and gummite, one of its alteration products, 

 have been found in some quantity The amount of these miner- 

 als found in the pegmatitic dikes does not warrant mining for 

 them only, but as a by-product in mica mining they will add 

 considerably to the profit of the mine. It is of interest to know 

 that the uraninite obtained from the Flat Rock mine, near 

 Spruce Pine, Mitchell County, has shown the highest radio- 

 activity of any uranium mineral thus far found. 



SamarsJcite : — This mineral is one of the more abundant 

 minerals containing the rare earth oxides, and large quantities 

 of it have been found at the Wiseman mica mine in Mitchell 

 County, ISTorth Carolina It is essentially a niobate and tan- 

 talate of iron and calcium with the cerium and yttrium metals, 

 together with uranium oxide The yttrium oxides vary from 

 6 to 15 per cent., and the cerium oxides from about 2 to 6 

 per cent. The color of samarskite is velvet black, and its lus- 

 tre varies from vitreous to resinous and splendent. It is com- 

 monly found massive or in flattened embedded grains, but oc- 

 casionally in fairly well-developed prismatic rhombohedral 

 crystals. Its usual occurrence is in pegmatitic dikes, and at 

 the Wiseman mica mine, it has been found in masses over 

 20 pounds in weight. At other mica mines in I^Torth Carolina 

 it has been found more sparingly. 



Tantalum Minerals: — Columbite and tantalite, the two 

 minerals that contain tantalum, are found to some extent in 

 the pegmatites of the Southern States. Of these two the colum- 

 bite is by far the commoner and occurs in greater abun- 

 dance It has been found in some quantity near Amelia Court 

 House, Amelia County, Virginia ; the Wiseman and Deake 

 mines, Mitchell County, and the Ray Mine, Yancey County, 

 IsTorth Carolina; 'tantalite has been found in Yancey County, 

 !North Carolina, and Coosa County, Alabama. Thus far, how- 



