WATER OF STEAMBOAT SIMJINGS. 347 



into all tlie spring basins. On the inner walls of the si[)hon tnlje diatom- 

 like structures were visible with the microscope. .The cooling- of the water 

 was unquestionably necessar}- to the development of these organisms, and 

 in the absence of air it seems impossible to su})pose that they can have 

 grown sufficiently to have influenced the preci[)itation of the sulphides. 



An attempt was made to collect a considerable quantity of precij)itate 

 by simply "cooling the water of this spring as described above, and for this 

 purpose a nundjer of long siphons were set in operation. But, though the 

 precipitates in the tubes were verj^ striking in appearance, the cj[uantity of 

 precipitate obtained in filtering 118 liters was only about nine milligrams. 

 It was almost completely soluble in yellow ammonium sulphide, and, to 

 my disappointment, not a trace of mercury could be detected. Perhaps this 

 was to be expected in view of the proportion which cinnabar bears to the 

 sulphides of antimony and arsenic in the other deposits. 



The followang results were obtained fi-om analysis of ihe water : 



Aiinli/nis of Sleamhoat Springs water. 

 IContcuts of 10 liters in grama. 1 



Silica, Si02 3. 10G5 



Carbon dioxide, CO- 1.77.''i9 



Boric anhydride, B"0' 2.1741 



Snlpliiiric anbydride, SO^ 1.03-9 



Hyposnlpbnrons anhydride, S-C 0.0307 



Sulphur combined, S as RHS 0.0327 



Hydrogen sulphide, H-S 0.005.5 



Or sulphur, S 0.0052 



Chlorine, CI it. .5243 



Autiniouious anhydride, Sb-0' 0.0051 



Arsenious anhydride, As-0^ 0. 0357 



Phosphoric anhydride, P-O^^ 0. 0003 



Mercuric sulphide, HgS Trace 



Alumina, Al-0' 0.0025 



Ferrous oxide, FeO 0.0018 



Lime, CaO 0.09.58 



Magnesia, MgO 0.0047 



Soda, Na^O 9.19^9 



Lithia, Li-0 0.1.541 



Potassa, K'0 1.2400 



Cajsium and rulii<liiim oxides, Cs'O, Rb'O Trace 



The csesium and rubidium in this analysis were detected by the spec- 

 troscope, but the quantity present was too small for determination. The 



