IRON. 



389 



Fig. 453. 



Fig. 454. 



At Lowville, tliis niincr.i! is associated with the green fluor ; and as it is subject to decom- 

 position, the specimens soon crumble and lose their beauty. This diiBcuUy can be prevented 

 by immersing them in a solution of gum arabic, or in copal varnish. 



Montgomery County. This mineral, in the massive form, is found associated with galena, 

 on Flat creek in the town of Root, two miles southeast of Spraker's basin. 



New-York County. Iron pyrites, in exceedingly small cubic crystals, occurs throughout 

 the island in the gneiss, and in the limestone at Kingsbridge. It is also occasionally found in 

 the limestone, in small dodecahedrons with pentagonal faces (Fig. 450). 



Oneida County. It is thickly disseminated in grains and small crystals in the millstone 

 grit near Utica. 



Orange County. Tiiis mineral occurs in the form of cubes, two miles southeast of the vil- 

 lage of Warwick; at "Carpenter's point; and four miles north of Newburgh. Tlie massive 

 variety is of frequent occurrence, and is usually associated with the magnetic iron ore. The 

 specimens found two miles southeast of Warwick have a yellow colour, and are both massive 



and crystallized in cubes, which sometimes 

 have bent or curved faces They contain oxide 

 of titanium, mica, zircon, fluor and feldspar, 

 and gold in small quantity is said to have been 

 found in tiicm. 



In the town of Dccrpark, crystals occur in 

 the form of the cube, with two opposite edges 

 deeply replaced by tangent planes, Fig. 453 ; 

 and the cube with all the solid angles replaced 

 by tangent planes, cuho-octaedre of Haiiy, Fig. 454. 



Putnam County. A few localities have been noticed in this county, where Mr. Mather 

 thinks it probable that iron pyrites may be economically employed. Thus in one part of the 

 Phillips ore bed, near the summit of the mountain, the magnetic iron ore is so much inter- 

 mixed with iron pyrites, liiat it cannot be used in the furnace. In some places the pyrites 

 seems to have been the paste in which the grains of iron ore arc disseminated, but in general 

 it is not so abundant : one-half to one-sixtii of the ore may be said to be pyrites. By exposure 

 to the weather, sulphate of" iron or copperas is formed ; and it might be made artificially from 

 the ore in large quantities, if other parts of the bed yield it as abundantly as that above 

 noticed.* 



The same mineral is found in some abundance in the valley of Patterson ; on Wood's farm, 

 six miles south-southeast of the village of Carmel ; and a quarter of a mile east of Ludding- 

 ton's mills. 



Richmond County. Crystals of iron pyrites of a rich yellow colour, occur in the fissures 

 of lignite near Rossvillc. They are often of great beauty, but decompose rapidly upon 



' Mallur. Nctf-YuTk Geological Kejuirls, 1830. 



