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“On the Telluric Bismuth of Vinyasa ; i ae 
a specimen whic he obtained from the mint, and discovered 
that the metal which I had supposed to be lead in my cupel- 
“lation process was bismuth. This fact I am enabled to con- 
Say by my own analysis. Mr. Fisher states that selenium 
takes the place of sulphur. This is not the case in my speci- 
S iisns, all of which yield sulphur when treated by nitric acid or 
aL, the blowpipe, and selenium exists only in minute traces. 
Last spring I made a hasty visit to the gold mines of Spottsyl- 
“vania County, Va., and nn apes at Whitehall a few pieces of 
the tellurium ore. ese cimens were in mica slate in nod- 
ules, and were incrusted ase yellow oxyd of bismuth. The 
“gold found in these specimens is not chemically united with the 
tellurium ore, but exists in small scales between the folia in its 
metallic state and varies in proportions from 2 to 5 percent. The 
tellurium ore is found incrusting masses of native gold, and the 
edges of the laminz of tellurium ore impress the metallic gold with 
well marked strize and indentations indicating that the tellurium ore 
was deposited first in the cavities or veins, and the gold was then 
deposited upo tice This is the order of deposition in many spe- 
cimens I have 
The Medion J ore is found both in the quartz beds or veins 
and in the mica slate, and is always mixed with native go 
orm, thin scales gor aol oe each other; no regu- 
lar crystals observed. Occurs in lamellar masses readily cleava- 
ble, the locninl splitting like salphapeet of molybdena, a - 
much resembles in appearance. It is flexible and not elas 
Sectile and not brittle. Color and lustre like flexible foliated 
graphite. Its hardness =1. Lustre splendent metallic. Color 
of streak like that of lead. 
Analysis on one gramme of the es scales :— 
Bismuth, 58°80 
Tellurium, : : 35°05 
Gold, ox. iron and earthy matter, 3 , 2-70 
Sulphur, : : : 3°65 
100-20 
This gives the formula of Heed yn 2Bi Te? + Bi S* = Bis- 
muth 59-6, sulphur 4°5, tellurium 35-9. 
The tellurium after it was ct aie by sulphurous acid, was 
attacked by means of zt and nitrate of potash by fusion, 
and the contents of the crucible being dissolved and acidulated 
by means of nitric acid and treated with nitrate of baryta, did not 
give a weighable quantity of seleniate of baryta. ‘The selenium 
exists only in minute proportions and is a mere trace. 
In addition to the above, I would observe that the yellow 
oxyd of bismuth occurring investing the nodules of tellurium 
ore, is not carbonate of bismuth, for it does not effervesce with 
