ORES AT STEAMBOAT SPRINGS. 343 



lected at diiroreiit points and were analyzed with the utmost care. In the 

 waters tlicmselvos one could expect to find oidy those substances which 

 were most aljundant in the natural precipitates, because they represent the 

 concentration of much larger cpiantities of water tlian it would be practicable 

 to evaporate for analysis. The spring deposits were found to contain the fol- 

 lowing metallic substances arranged as nearly as may be in the order of their 

 quantity : Sulphides of antimoii}- and arsenic, ferric hydrate, lead sulphide, 

 copper sulpiride, mercuric sulphide, gold, and silver, together with traces of 

 zinc, manganese, cobalt, and nickel. In the spring water itself only antimony, 

 arsenic, and traces of mercury were detected. In considering the analyses, 

 it nuist be remendjered that the greater part of the metallic deposits are not 

 at the vents of the living springs, but to the west at the mine, where no 

 springs now exist, though steam and solfataric gases in small cpiantitics still 



escape. 



Metalliferous spring deposits.— Specimens I aiul II wcrc from an old crevice in 

 the plateau of sinter near the railroad. The crevice was sealed witli sinter 

 and tlie ground was entirely cold. When it was oiiened no water was found. 

 The deposit was r U-ne, simple fissure vein between walls composed of earlier 

 sinters. It was brick-red in color, like almost all of the metalliferous de- 

 posits of the. plateau, the tint being due to red, precipitated sulphide of 

 antimony, a mineral which I believe has received no name.' The color of 

 some of'tliese deposits is such as to suggest impure cinnabar, but in none 

 of those near the railway did we find enough mercuric sulphide to account 

 for the tint Qualitative analysis showed the presence of mercury, gold, 

 silver, copper, lead, arsenic, antimony, iron, aluminium, manganese, zinc 

 in minute quantity, traces of cobalt and nickel, lime, magnesia, lithium, 

 sodium and potassium, silica and sulphur. A minute quantity of sulphates 

 ajipeared to be present. Quantitative separations were made with very 

 large samples. The object was to obtain weighable amounts of the metals, 

 in order that an idea might be obtained of their relative abundance. The 

 precise estimation, however, has only a general val ue, becaus e the de^^sit 



1 Dr. J. Sterry Huut desiiiug to meutiou tbi.s mineral iu bis classification, I suggested metastibuiU 

 (Proc. Am. Philos. Soc, vol. 25, 1888, p. 168). 



