+) ips 
‘ 
a 
508 >. FF Alger on fa) ystallized Gold from California 
_+ attrition, or the oe of transported action usually observed | in ae 
er specimens. I cannot say that I have ever before seen what 
unquestionably a genuine crystal from this new land ‘of golden 
irregular crystalline plane could only occasionally be traced ou in’ 
former specimens; but here we have examples of erystallizatiii, 2 isi 
as perfect among the small ones especially, as are to be seen in mag- +." 
netic iron ore or in spinelle. The most striking examples on a ep uy 
large scale, are three octahedrons of the dimensions of the accOM= 4am a3 
panying ficures. They are isolated crystals, and the smallest one, ,*” 
by 
which is the most perfect, is so entirely free from any adhering por- : 
tion of the matrix to which it must have been attached, as to lead 
quartz in connection with which the gold is usually found. Al- 
though its exact locality is not known, it is probable, as indicated 
by its slightly worn appearance, that it has been but recently dis- 
lodged from its original resting place. This crystal presents four 
pretty regular i and has three of its solid angles perfectly form- 
ed toa point. It exhibits no modifications; but two of its faces 
are depressed—one of them by a very deep cavity which extends 
not quite to the edges of the plane, but so near to them as to leave 
a narrow ridge, or border, all around the cavity and parallel with 
the edges, thus giving the same triangular outline to each. It 
appears as if the crystal had been in a liquid state, and that soon 
after the outside had congealed, the inner portion, or a part of it, 
had run out, leaving the Gnatnting consolidated edge just re- 
ferred to. I have seen something similar to this formed among 
artificial crystals, as for instance, metallic lead (which takes the 
form of an octahedron) and lead ore partially desulphurized, when 
the metal was allowed to flow off slowly, just as the outer crust 
had formed over the surface of the crystals. 
The large crystal presents only one half of the octahedron, hie 
base blending with the massive gol or only ig ep the 
cipient planes of the lower pyram Three of its planes fe 
perfectly smooth surfaces, cvoaca along their tee which are 
prominently marked by the same projecting border or ridge al- 
y described on the smaller crystal. This border may have 
been produced in the same manner by the shrinking away of the 
