MINERALOGY. 473 



stone (Hematite), especially in greenstone and syenite 

 (granite containing hornblende in place of mica), mostly 

 however, in alluvial or drift material and detritus from 

 the crystalline rocks. Discovered of late years in great 

 abundance in the Ural mountains, Burmah or Borneo, 

 and South America. The Demidoff mines in the Ural, 

 produce a large amount of platinum, amounting annu- 

 ally from six to seven thousand marks. On account of 

 its dull gray lead color, platinum is considered less valu- 

 able for ornamental purposes than gold or silver ; never- 

 theless it is a highly important and useful metal. Its 

 infusibility even in the highest temperature (as it can 

 only be operated upon by intense artificial heat and 

 strong pressure, and its property of resisting nearly all 

 chemical agents as well as the action of air and water), 

 renders it most valuable in the construction of philosoph- 

 ical and chemical apparatus. It fuses before the compound 

 blowpipe, dissolves in boiling aqua regia, but is alto- 

 gether unaffected by sulphuric or any other of the pure 

 acids. In scarcity, beauty, ductility and indestructibil- 

 ity it is thus scarcely inferior to gold. 



We have now concluded our task of investigating the 

 three Kingdoms of Nature, and in presenting specimens 

 from each, trust, that although our sketches are neces- 

 sarily imperfect (for the field is a wide one), we shall 

 have interested our readers so far as to induce a further 

 study of the wonders of Creation, and enlarge their 

 conceptions of the wisdom, power, and goodness of Him 

 who could call a world from naught. In the curious 

 and wonderful structure of man, the highest link in the 

 chain of being passing down through the graduated 

 scale of existence to the lowest zoophyte in the whole 



