*5& Titanite. [Book VI. 



diftiriguifhes it frorn tungftenic calx, which it refembles 

 in colour. 



TITANITE, which many mineralogies have confi- 

 dered as a red fliirj, has been lately transferred to the 

 clafs of metallic fubftances by the labours of Klaproth. 

 Its colour is brownifh red. It occurs cryftallized 

 in right angled quadrangular prifms, lo'ngitudinally 

 ftreaked or furrowed. None of the acids have been 

 found to have any action on this fubftancej even when 

 heated. The calx of titanite is white, and is foluble 

 in the mineral acids. Fifty grains of the calx were 

 by ignition reduced to twenty-eight. Mr. Kirwan is 

 of opinion that titanite is red when in its metallic ftate, 

 that is, as it is found in nature. Heated on charcoal it 

 becomes rofy red, and afterwards flate blue, and finally 

 melts into an imperfect bead with a fine ftriated fur- 

 face. The different productions of nature feem uni- 

 verfally to pafs into each other ; and titanite, as far as 

 we can judge, from what is as yet known concerning 

 it, forms a link between earthy and metallic fubftances. 



