168 SCIENTIFIC AND LITERARY NOTES. 
SCIENTIFIC AND LITERARY NOTES. 
CLASSIFICATION OF THE SALINE SPRINGS OF CANADA.——BY T. STERRY HUNT, F.R.8S. 
[The following extract, introductory to a very elaborate review of our mineral 
springs and river waters, is taken from the revised Report on the Geology of 
Canada, now passing through the press. ] 
The mineral waters of Canada may for convenience be arranged in six 
classes, according to their chemical composition. In the first three classes, 
chlorids predominate; in the fourth, carbonates; and in the fifth and sixth, 
sulphuric acid and sulphates. The waters of the first, second, and sixth classes 
are neutral; those of the third and fourth are alkaline; and those of the fifth 
are acid. 
The first class includes saline waters containing chlorid of sodium, with 
large portions of chlorids of calcium and magnesium, sometimes with sulphates. 
The carbonates of lime and magnesia are either present only in very small quan- 
tities, or are altogether wanting. These waters are generally very bitter to the 
taste, and always contain portions of bromids and iodids. Examples,—St. 
Catherines, Ancaster, Whitby, Hallowell. 
_ The second class includes a large number of saline waters which differ from 
the first in containing, besides the chlorids of sodium, calcium, and magnesium, 
considerable portions of bicarbonates of lime and magnesia, the latter carbonate 
generally predominating. Small quartities of oxid of iron, and of baryta and 
strontia, are frequently present. These waters generally contain much smaller 
quantities of earthy chlorids than the first class, and are therefore less bitter, 
and more pleasant to the taste. Hxamples,—Plantagenet, St. Léon, St. Genevieve, 
The third class includes those saline waters which contain, besides chlorid of 
sodium, a portion of carbonate of soda, with bicarbonates of lime and mag- 
nesia. Small amounts of baryta, strontia, and of boracic and phosphoric acids, 
are often present in these waters ; and bromids and iodids are very rarely want- 
ing. Hxamples,—Caledonia, Varennes, Fitzroy. 
The waters of the fourth class differ from the last in containing but a small 
proportion of chlorid of sodium, while the carbonate of soda predominates, 
These waters generally contain a much smaller amount of solid matters than 
those of the previous classes, and have not a very marked taste until evaporated 
to a small volume, when they are found to be strongly alkaline. Hxamples,— 
Chambly, St. Ours. 
The fifth class includes acid waters which are remarkable for containing a 
large proportion of free sulphuric acid, with sulphates of lime, magnesia, pro- 
toxide of iron, and alumina, These springs, which are few in number, and 
characterized by their acid styptic taste, generally contain some sulphuretted 
hydrogen, HExamples,—Tuscarora and Niagara. 
In the sixth class may be included some neutral saline waters, in which the 
sulphates of lime, magnesia, and the alkalies predominate ; chlorids being pre- 
sent only in small amounts. To this class belongs a mineral water from 
Hamilton, and another from Charlotteville. 
