MISCELLANIES. 367 



AMMONIA DESTRUCTIVE TO INSECTS. 



Mr. Jordan, of Brooklyn, having a fine large peach tree decaying, 

 tried unsuccessfully various means, till at last it occurred to him that 

 carbonate of ammonia might prove useful. He immediately inserted 

 small pieces of this substance in the holes made by the insects in 

 the trunk of the tree. The result was the destruction of the insects, 

 and the entire resuscitation of the tree, so that it bare a remarkable 

 quantity of line fruit this season. The remedy is perfectly rational, 

 and we have no doubt it will prove invaluable. 



NATIVE LAMELLAR IRON. 



We have in our possession a mass of native lamellar iron, which is 

 quite remarkable. The laminre are about ~^i\\ of an inch thick, and 

 columnar, Sp. gr. G"58, from one trial of a thin plate. At first we 

 supposed it an artificial production, but we were soon satisfied this 

 opinion was incorrect. It dissolves rapidly and perfectly in warm 

 sulphuric or muriatic acid, disengaging hydrogen. Ammonia pre- 

 cipitates the pcroxitle. It is attracted strongly by the magnet : streak 

 and lustre metallic. But its lamina? are only slightly flexible, and it 

 is entirely destitute of malleability. On being heated, it is converted 

 into the black oxide ; and we were entirely unable to flatten it under 

 the hammer when red hot, although it is apparently pure iron. We 

 submitted a specimen to the examination of Dr. Beck, with the 

 results we had previously obtained. We hope he will give it a tho- 

 rough examination, for we consider it one of the most curious and 

 interesting varieties of iron that has ever fallen under our notice. 



OXIDE OF COPPER. 



Fine octahedral oxide of copper, associated with native copper, has 

 been put into our hands by Dr. Eights : it was taken from one of 

 the Lake Superior mines. This variety is rare, we understand, in 

 the copper region. 



VEINS OF HEMATITE. 



We discovered, last July, in Adams (Massachusetts), veins of this 

 substance in the granular quartz. They are in connection with that 

 curious mass of quartz breccia which lies adjacent to the base of 

 the Green mountains. Il; has been an interesting inquiry, how the 

 granular quartz was broken into those sharp angular pieces. It now 

 appears to us that the sudden application of heat may have shivered 

 entire strata, accompanied by an ejection of melted oxide which 

 flowed into the broken mass and cemented it together. Whether 

 so or not, we were much gratified with having discovered that the 

 hematite of the Taconic system exists in veins in connection with 

 the breccia spoken of above. 



