COPPER. 



421 



RED COPPER ORE. 



Cuivrc Oxiilulr. 7/nuV. — Red Oxiilc of Coiiijor. Cleriirhniil, Phillips and jyiomson. - 

 panl. — Octahedral Red t'op[icr Oro. Jamrsun. — Octacdrischcs Kiiplcr Ei'Z. Mohs. 



Red Copper Ore. Ske- 

 - Zii'Ui'linp, licvilant. 



Description. Colour red of various shades, especially cochineal- 

 red. Streak several shades of brownish red, shining. It occurs 

 regularly crystallized, and also in the form of the octahedron and 

 its modifications ; also massive, disseminated, friable or earthy. 

 Primary form the regular octahedron. Fig. 503. Cleavage parallel 

 with the primary planes, but not easily obtained. Fracture uneven. 

 Lustre adamantine, inclining to semi-metallic. Varies from translu- 

 cent to opaque. Brittle. Hardness from 3.5 to 4.0. Specific gi-a- 

 vity from 5 . fiO to . 1 0. Before the blowpipe on charcoal, it is easily 

 reduced into a globule of copper ; with borax, it fuses readily into a green glass. It is solu- 

 ble in nitre and muriatic acids. The solution in muriatic acid gives with caustic potash an 

 ochre-yellow precipitate. 



Varieties. Capillary Red Copper Ore. This differs chiefly in being made up of extremely 

 slender and elongated crystals, whicli sometimes appear reticulated, or even fibrous. 



Compact Red Copper Ore. Of a brick-red or brownish-red colour, and commonly with an 

 earthy fracture, sometimes glistening. It generally contains oxide of iron. 



Composition. Copper 85.50, oxygen 11.50 {Chenevix). Formula Cu,,0. 



Geological Situation. It occurs in veins, beds and smaller masses, in primitive, transi- 

 tion and secondary rocks, and is associated with other ores of copper and iron. 



localities. 



According to Mr. Mather, this mineral is found in thin seams associated with green carbo- 

 nate of copper, in the trap rocks two miles from Ladenton in the county of Rockland.* 



The red copper ore, occurs imperfectly crystallized and massive, at the Schuyler, Bridge- 

 water and Flcmington copper mines in New-Jersey. Some of the specimens have a lead- 

 grey colour, and a high metallic lustre ; while others vary in colour from purple to brick-red, 

 and have a compact structure and an earthy fracture. The powder of all of them, however, 

 is reddish. It is also found in thin veins, sometimes associated with native copper, in tlie rod 

 shale near the city of New-Brunswick in the same State. 



' IVetf-Vort Geological Hi pons, 1839. 



