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RANDOM NOTES ON NATURAL HISTORY. 



Quartz.— Rock Crystal. 



Quartz is the most abundant mineral in j 

 the world, and in its clear, limpid, and cr3-s- i 

 talline state, appears as wonderful and elic- j 

 its as much admiration from the casual and 

 unscientific observer as any two others that | 

 could be mentioned. j 



Diamond Hill, in Cumberland, this state, 

 has more than a local celebrity for its en- ■ 

 crustationsof crystals that face the rocks all j 

 over the hill, in druses like sugar, or often | 

 protruding one-sixteenth to one fourth of ' 

 an inch. j 



At the Dexter lime rock, in Smithfield, j 

 occur beautiful crystals, often limpid, in j 

 veins of quartz intersecting the limestone. 

 One perfect specimen is reported, six and 

 three-fourths inches long and one inch in 

 diameter. 1 



Regarding other and more notable local- 

 ities, we quote from the article on Gems 

 and Precious Stones, by G. F. Kunz, pub- 

 lished by the Department of the Interior : 



"Rock crystal is found at a great many 

 localities in America. .In Herkimer Count}', 

 at Lake George, and through the adjacent 

 regions in New York State, the calciferous 

 sandstone contains single crystals, and at 

 times large cavities are found filled with 

 doubly-terminated crystals, often of remark- 

 able perfection and brillianc}' ; these are 

 collected in numbers, cut, and often uncut, 

 are mounted in jewelry and sold to tourists 

 under the name of ' Lake George diamonds.' 

 Those sold in large cities under the same 

 name are, however, often simply paste or 

 glass, which possess more brilliancy but have 

 not the same durability. Of the Herkimer 

 cr3'stals possibly $3,000 worth are sold per 

 annum. 



"In Arkansas, at Crystal Mountain, and 

 in the region for about forty miles around 

 Hot Springs, large veins of quartz are fre- 

 quently met with. The quartz is taken to 

 Hot Springs and Little Rock b}' the wagon 

 load by the farmers, who often do blasting 

 to secure the crystals, looking for them at 

 such times as their crops need no attention. 

 In the course of a year possibly one hun- 

 dred loads are sold, principally as memen- 

 toes, to the visitors at these resorts. Crys- 

 tals are also sent to other localities for sale. 

 Usually only one-half of the crystal is clear, 

 and a clear space over two inches square is 



quite uncommon. The sale of the uncut ones 

 from this region amounts to fully $10,000 

 per annum. 



"At Hot Springs, clear, rolled pebbles are 

 often sold, that have been found on the 

 banks of the Ouachita ; these are more 

 highly prized than the crystals, as the com- 

 mon fallacy prevails that they cut clearer 

 gems The scarcity of these and the de- 

 mand for them has so worked upon the cu- 

 pidity of some that they have learned to 

 produce rolled pebbles by putting numbers 

 of the crystals in a box which is kept re- 

 volving for a few days by water-power. Any 

 expert, however, can discern the difference, 

 since the artificial ones are a little whiter on 

 the surface. 



"Many localities in Colorado furnish fine 

 specimens. Large masses of clear rock 

 crystal have been found in North Carolina, 

 and would be of use in the arts. 



" At many places large quantities of the 

 quartz cut in gems, seals, and all manner 

 of ornaments, are sold as having been found 

 in the vicinity. Sometimes even the stones 

 that have been found by the visitors and 

 brought by them to be cut, are exchanged for 

 those already cut and brought here from Bo- 

 hemia, Oldenburg, and the Jura, where cut- 

 ting is done on a large scale and by cheap 

 labor ; the cut stones costing, delivered in 

 America, not more than one-tenth of the 

 price of cutting done here. 



" The annual sale of cut stones and mone}* 

 expended in cutting, at the different local- 

 ities, may amount to $20,000 or more per 

 annum, and the sale of specimens to as 

 much more. 



"The clear crystal for optical purposes, 

 used in this country, is almost entirely from 

 Brazilian, — not that the American is not 

 fine enough, but the good material found 

 here rarely reaches the proper channels, and 

 the Brazilian is cheap and is used from 

 custom." 



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Late Crossbills, L' Americana. — On 

 April 27, Mr. G. M. Gray observed a flock 

 of about a dozen Red Crossbills in East 

 Providence, R. I. His attention was at- 

 tracted by their chattering, and after alight- 

 ing they permitted a near approach. 



On Saturday, May 10, Mr. Arthur Miller 

 killed a Red Crossbill, which he sent to us 

 with the remark that there was quite a flock 

 of them. This was at Barrington, R. I. 



