532 Intelligence and Miscellaneoiis Articles. 



named Mosandrite by Erdmann after Mosander, the discoverer of 

 lantanum. It is a silicate and titanite of oxide of cerium and lan- 

 tanum. It is sparingly found on Lammanskarett, accompanied by 

 albite, aegirine, titaniate of iron, and violet-coloured fluor spar. It is 

 partly crystallized in flat obscure prisms, partly compact, with a dis- 

 position to a columnar separation. It has one distinct and several 

 indistinct cleavages ; the first has a glassy and waxy ku-tre, the latter 

 a resinous lustre. The colour is dark reddish brown, in thin splinters 

 atransparent bright red ; gives a grayish brown powder, and is as hard 

 as fluor spar ; specific gravity 2"93 — 2'98. Before the blowpipe gives 

 out much water, which has neither an acid nor alkaline reaction. 

 On heating it becomes of a red yellow colour, easily fuses before 

 the blowpipe with intumescence into a brownish green shining bead ; 

 is easily dissolved in borax, giving an amethystine-coloured bead, 

 which in the reducing flame is yellow, quickly becoming colourless. 

 It is more diflicultly soluble in salt of phosphorus, leaving a residue 

 of silica. In the reducing flame it imparts to the glass the colour 

 of oxide of titanium. Produces with soda on platina a green colour. 

 Mosandrite is entirely decomposed by hydrochloric acid, leaving the 

 silica undissolved ; when heated, chlorine is given ofi^, and the colour 

 of the solution changes from dark red to yellow. The quantities 

 of the component parts are not yet determined ; they consist of silica, 

 titanic acid, oxide of cerium and lantanum, oxide of manganese, 

 lime, a little magnesia, and potash and water. It consists princi- 

 pally of the four first ingredients. 



SAPONITE. 



L. Svanberg has described and analysed a mineral from Svardsjo 

 in Dalarna, found in the mines of Bruskved and Svartvik. At the 

 latter place it is found hanging from the rocks in pieces of an inch 

 broad, white like butter or soap,, which occasioned its name. It 

 hardens upon exposure to the air, and. forms partly white lumps, 

 ■which may be marked by the nail, and partly falls to powder. It is 

 either white, or partly yellow and partly red ; upon pressure with a 

 hard substance receives a polish, with a fatty feel, and adheres to 

 the tongue. Before the blowpipe gives out much water, and blackens 

 like other magnesian minerals ; has the appearance of a commence- 

 ment of fusion, is easily dissolved in borax or in salt of phosphorus, 

 with a residue of silica ; with soda it forms an opake glass. It is 

 composed ofr 



Oxvgen. 



Silica 50-8 26-44 .. 5 



Magnesia.. 26-5.. 1026 "I ,„., „ 



Lime 0-7 .. 0-21 / iU 4/ . . - 



Alumina .. 9-4.. 4-391 , „-, 



Oxideofiron 2- .. 0-63 J i) U- . . l 



Water 10-5 9-24 .. 2 



Formula 2 M S., -f- A S + 2 aq. 

 Upon analyzing the soapstone of Cornwall, L. Svanberg found it 

 romposed of — 



