Proceedings of the Polytechnic Association. 1005 



lliem in a saturated solution of common salt, wliiuli is boiled until 

 the decomposing or rutting process is completed. 



DiAMOXDS AXD QlTAETZ, 



The Quarterly Journal of Science sa^'s : On a rpiestion so obscure 

 ami enigmatical as that of the origin of the diamond, evo'j tittle of 

 evidence is worth recording. Dr. Goppert, in his famcnis essay 

 which gained a prize at the Haarlem Academy in 1S('4, argued 

 strongly in favor of the formation (.)f this mineral by the wet way. 

 ITe now publishes an account of certain diamonds containing organic 

 structui'es tending to conlirm his views. Two diamonds in the Iloyal 

 Mincralogical Museum in ]>erlin were found to inclose numerous 

 green cells, closely resendjling those of many alg.e. One c»f the 

 diamonds, weighing 2G3 milligrammes, contains a very large number 

 of perfectly round green granules, which appear to be isolated cells 

 not unlilce those of Proiucci's 2>^^'-vi<-d(S. The new species is accord- 

 ingly mimed P. adtimanti/ius. In the second diamond, weighing 

 345 milligrammes, the cells are less rounded and more elongated in 

 form, while they frequently unite so as to form a loose parenchy- 

 matous tissue ; they find their best repi-esentatives in Pahnoglea 

 macrococca^ and Goppert has accordingly ventured to name the new 

 diamond plant Palmagloeites adamantinus. 



Once again the old mistake has been repeated in Australia. In 

 the northeast district, a stone was fuuiul, about tlie size and shape of 

 a duck's (ig(^, and weigliing 6 oz. 13 pwts. 12 grs., Troy. Of course 

 it was taken f n- a dianu^nd, and rumor was soon rife as to its ]n-u- 

 digious worth. A few days after announcing the discovery, The 

 Australian Mail coolly adds : " The great diamond which had 

 created so much sensation has proved to be a piece of crystal- 

 quartz." 



Spectrum analysis has been applied l)y Vogelsang and Geissler to 

 the difficult question of determining the chemical nature of the iluid 

 found inclosed, in minute quantity, in tlic cavities of certain <piartz- 

 crvstals. Fragments of quartz were placeil in a small retort, which 

 was connected with an air pump and exhausted ; then, by the appli- 

 cation of heat, the quartz decrij^itatad, and the evolved vapor was 

 examined in a Gcissler-tube. The presence of carl)ouic acid was 

 thus al)undantly proved, and this was confirmed by the turbidity 

 which it produced in lime-water. 



