1 92 Intelligence and Miscellanies. 



comes sufficiently obvious on bringing it near the eye, when it 

 appears to be composed principally oi'a bluish grey substance, 

 in globular masses, from the size of a mustard seed to that of 

 a pea, and a white, loosely cohering mineral : the former in 

 much the largest proportion. After these, on closer inspec- 

 tion, are visible minute hook shaped, and sometimes slightly 

 flattened globular masses of a metallic nature, which are of- 

 ten partially coated by rust, and minute steel grey grains 

 and crystals, which for the most part occupy the cavities be- 

 fore mentioned, and are sometimes arranged so as to resem- 

 ble the characters used in the eastern languages. Besides 

 these, by the aid of a microscope, we discover occasionally a 

 greenish transparent laminated substance, and more rarely 

 a honey yellow mineral in minute grains. 



In comparing it, in its general aspect, with such meteoric 

 specimens as the cabinet of this college embraces, we ob- 

 serve in it a considerable resemblance to the Weston aero- 

 lites. Like these, the two substances of which it is chiefly 

 composed are in masses sufficiently large to appear quite dis- 

 tinct to the naked eye, although from the description already 

 given, it will be perceived that it differs considerably even 

 from them, by its numerous cavities and their crystallized 

 contents. It differs very essentially from the Maryland 

 stones, which are almost wholly made up of a white feld- 

 spathic substance; as well as from those of PAigle and 

 Stannern, the former of which being quite compact and ho- 

 mogeneous, and the latter abounding mostly in albite. 



The firmness of the Virginian stone is superior to that of ei- 

 ther of those above mentioned, except perhaps those of PAigle, 

 it requiring a pretty smart blow of the hammer to produce a 

 fracture, and the small masses refuse to separate by the mere 

 strength of the fingers. Its specific gravity, as determined 

 in two fragments, one weighing 82*3 grs. and the other 38*5 

 was 3-29, and 3'31. 



After these observations upon the general character of the 

 specimen under examination, I proceed to the separate de- 

 scription of the minerals it contains. 



1. Chrysolite. 



The globular shaped bodies which compose the chief 

 part of the Virginia aerolite are thus denominated, because; 

 in their mineralogical characters, they approach very closely 

 our species crysolitc. I offer the following description of its 

 characters. 



