PHYSIOGRAPHY. 41 



Arragonite. 



composition irregularly streaked. Massive : composition 

 columnar, either parallel, or divergent, or irregular ; and of 

 different sizes of individuals. 



1. Thin fragments of transparent crystals decrepitate in the flame of a 

 candle ; other varieties lose their transparency, and become friable. It 

 phosphoresces upon red-hot iron, and is soluble in nitric and muriatic 

 acid, with effervescence. 



2. .Analysis. 

 By STROMEYER. 



Carbonate of lime . . 95-2965 . 99-2922 

 Carbonate of strontites . 0-5090 . 4-1043 



Water .... 0-1544 . 05992 



The carbonate of strontites does not exist in constant proportions, and 

 has not been found at all in the coral loidal varieties. 



3. Imbedded crystals, generally twins, o; consisting of a greater num- 

 ber of individuals, are found in compound varieties of Gypsum, mixed 

 and colored with oxide of iron, accompanied by crystals of Quartz, 

 which have likewise suffered a similar admixture. Other varieties oc- 

 cur in the cavities of basalt and other trap rocks, also in irregular beds 

 and veins. It is found in beds of iron-ores, in those coralloidal varieties 

 which have been called Flos-ferri, in which the component individuals 

 are so minute that their form and structure is undistinguishable. It is 

 also found in various repositories, along with several species, as Copper 

 and Iron Pyrites, Galena and Malachite. It likewise occurs in lava. 



4. The most beautiful crystals occur near Bilin in Bohemia, in a vein 

 traversing basalt, and filled with a massive variety of the same species, 

 consisting of large columnar particles of composition. The varieties of 

 twin-crystals imbedded in Gypsum, are found in the kingdom of Arragon 

 in Spain, from whence the name of the species has been derived. The 

 greenish colored specimens are brought from Marienberg in Saxony, 

 and Sterziog in the Tyrol. The finest varieties of Flos-ferri are found 

 in the mines of Eisen-ertz in Stiria; it also occurs atSchemnitz, St. Ma- 

 rie mines, and in those of Baygorri and Vicdessos in the Pyrennees. In 

 England, the Dufton lead mines furnish beautiful specimens in acicular 

 crystals, and finely columnar masses of a satin lustre. Other localities 

 are Mount Vesuvius, Iglo in Hungary, France, Scotland, Iceland and 

 Silesia. 



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