Mineralogy and Geology. 287 
Prof, Shepard, who aan ~ mineral in this Journal, vol. xxxv, 
p- 137, obtained for its compos 
Si 56-00, Ga 28-38, 411-70, ¥? 0°85, an Na?) and loss 5-12, H 8:0=100, 
king it essentially a hydrous silicate of lime, a composition incom- 
patible with the “ degree of hardness. The presence of boracic : 
acid accounts for th s peculiarity. 
. On the discovery ar gee of Nickel in Northern New York 
by Dr. Pidlecx H, A.M., with additional observations by 
S. W, Jou iat: ahal ana e for this Journal.)—Io January of the 
resent year, while visiting i friend Dr. Hough at his residence in * 
Somerville, St. Lawrence . Y., he showed me specimens of a 
mineral which from its yale characters he had decided to be sul- 
phuret of nickel 
As its existence in the United States has not been SS report: 
ed, I communicate the substance of a notice he furnished me, in his 
own words—* This mineral has been found in limited aitsntities at the 
Sterling i iron mine, in Antwerp, Jefferson Co. Eig af It was first no- 
ticed by the writer about two years since and" a acted his attention 
from its delicate capillary appearance, brilliant iat and the difference 
of its crystalline form from that of sulphuret of iron, which in color 
— association it so nearly resembles. 
“It occurs mostly in radiating tufts of exceedingly minute and slender 
‘crys' Ae a brass-yellow color, and very aa lustre, which when 
highly nified present the appearance of flattened sehate prisms 
with emacs _ the strive being parallel oie the principal faces of 
the pri ae 
“No cleavage was observed, nor could the ere planes of the 
prisms (f they possess any) be determined. hen moderately mag- 
nified, the minute Bil Bat ac abies to gradually narrow toa 
are composed of several covets of unequal length united by one or 
_— of ne lateral faces, 
hey occur in geode-like cavities of the iron ore, which are lined 
ih crytalizations of spathic i iron, specular iron, quartz, ae ae ca- 
coxene, and sul et of iron; from among these crystals e tufts 
Proceed, attached neoially to the spathic iron, more rarely to the crys 
tals of iron. It is not an abundant mineral ; only po one or two 
dozen specimens have been eee since its discover 
inch in diameter is "ihuverséd by six eee somewhat 
ea crystals af poy nei size than any ie vat ise Thei 
tani 
a the beating of the abide: led a ae observation of minute crys- 
tals apparently springing from the iron, and traversing the spathic iron. 
Tn two instances a crystal was found completely transfixing a rhomb of 
Spathic iron, and supporting it in air, at a distance of { inch above the 
