Mineralogy and Geology. 119 
— acid, all mineralogists who were conversant with the laws 
of chemical combination, considered it as nothing more than a mechan- 
ical cnn, though the description appears to have been that of a sim- 
ple substance. Afterwards Del Rio pronounced it “* carbonate of zinc, 
with some nickel and cobalt,” and this being a very probable composi- 
tion, which also answers very well to the physical properties, it was 
generally considered a Smithsonite, though, (no other examination hay- 
ing ree made of it,) as doubtful. |] have received, through the kiitinehe 
of Dr. J. L. LeConte, a genuine and perfectly pure piece of the mineral, 
hich I gst carefully examined. 
He 
composition, Herrera has the merit of having correctly discovered in it 
the presence of carbonic acid ; Del Rio, that of having fannis in it the 
ozyd of zinc. With regard 10 the other constituents, both th mi 
en. A qualitative analysis has shown that this mineral contains car- 
bonic acid, oxyd of zine, oxyd of copper, oxyd of manganese, m 
sia and lime, but no mann of any other subsiance. The uantitative 
analysis was made with the usual methods. 
BB. in a tube it blackens and does not give “imate, which 
condenses in transparent drops,” (as Herrera aigie®.) b one at all. 
On charcoal in the reducing flame it blacke ngs: and covers es eh white 
incrustations, having a steel-blue margin, w are yellow as long as hot; 
d whi : : : 
pees hen civic in an agate mortar, metallic copper. 
fee it gives distinctly the copper reactions. Dissolves in acids 
Sic hy. with effervescence. After weighing, I have carefully examined 
ll the separated substances for their purity, but pea traces of tellu- 
rium, nor those of cobalt and nickel, could be detected. 
0:6226 gers. of the mineral gave : 
0-3783 ors. of oxyd of zinc, or = - - sr 76 p.c a t > 
0137 “ “ oxyd of copper,or - - 20 * Cu Q; 
0:0062 “ “ protosesquioxyd of manganese, or 0-93 Me 0; 
0:0025 “ * pyrophosphate of rie or 014% MgO; 
00092 “ “ carbonate of lime, or 0-83 “* CaO; 
Herrerite is pent Bering but a cupreous sintthgokilie aad its 
compesition the follo 
Carbonate of zinc, - . . ee reg a per cent. 
ee 
7! * manganese . ° ee fe ” 
“ _* magnesia, eee “ 
ed * lime : . * = 1-48 
2 6 
2. Analyses o at Meteoric dees nt, ae ince of Sonor 
Mexico ; by Dr. a A. Genta, (Proc. a from Tucson, ‘Nat. Sci., 1855, vii, 317. ‘ 
—The masses of Neue: Iron of Tuezon, first ory to notice by Dr. 
»» J. L. Le Conte, (Am. Journ. Sci, 2d Ser. xiii, 289,) and afierwards more 
ally desribed by Prof. C. U. Shepard, (Am. Journ. Sci., 2d Ser., xviii, 
i 
Ror, 
