36 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. XXI. No. 520 



row areas extending a little west of north and east of south. They 

 represent extremely metamorphused remnants of the original sedi- 

 mentary formation. 



Lying on the west of the summit of the range and extending 

 parallel with it is a strip of granitic country filled with irregular 

 dikes or reins of coarsely crystallized quartz, feldspar and mus- 

 covite ; or frequently of feldspar and quartz only, in the latter 

 •case taking on a pegmatiiic structure. Black tourmaline in ir- 

 regular crystals is generally characteristic of these dikes. 



The rubellite and lepidolite are found associated with an im- 

 mense dike of this character near Paia, a short distance west of 

 the foot of Smith's Mountain. The dike occurs in one of the 

 norite bosses which forms a high hill over half a mile across. 

 Similar bodies of pegmatitic rock are found in the granite in the 

 vicinity but contain no rubellite. The outcrop is tracible along 

 the eastern slope of the hill for nearly three thousand feet, in 

 places forming a precipitous ledge. It gradually increases in 

 width toward the southern end, where it is three hundred feet 

 across. 



It is near one edge of this great mass of pegmatite, and in- 

 closed in it, that the minerals in question occur. 



The northern portion of the dike contains no tourmaline ;phe 

 dominant character being that of a very coarse tnuscovite granite, 

 with a sprinkling of minute garnets. Both large and small bodies 

 of finely formed pegmatite lie apparently wholly isolnled in 

 the coarse granite. 



As the dike is followed southward to a point about midway in 

 its course, crystals of black tourmaline begin to appear in abun- 

 dance. One crystal ten inches long appeared broken into a dozen 

 pieces, which had been moved a slight distance apart but were 

 perfectly angular. The quartz-feldspar matrix showed no signs 

 of crushing, and it is difficult to understand how the appearance 

 could have heen produced unless the crystal existed prior to the 

 consolidation of the yielding magma. 



Parallelism of the smaller and more slender crystals is often to 

 be observed as taking place about the larger ones. Green tour- 

 maline is present in small amount. It does not generally show 

 any crystalline form, but is disseminated in small granular parti- 

 cles irregularly or aggregated about the black tourmaline. 



The lepidolite appears here first in small irregular patches. A 

 few yards to the south it forms a well-defined vein, and is filled 

 with minute needle-like crystals of rubellite. Quartz crystals 

 with fairly well defined boundaries are scattered through it. 



At the point where the lepidolite reaches its greatest width, 

 about sixty feet, it contains very little rubellite and is quite mas- 

 sive and pure save for granular aggregates of an acid plagioclase 

 feldspar, probably oligoclase. It is near the southern end of this 

 great body of lithia mica that the rubellite appears in the large 

 radiated aggregates. Fan-shaped clusters of rubellite also occur 

 in the quartz and feldspar adjoining the lepidolite. Single crys- 

 tals in these groups are often fifteen inches long and one-half 

 inch in diameter. One cavity containing good quartz crystals 

 has been found, and it is possible that with farther exploration 

 gem tourmalines may be found. Many of the smaller crystals 

 in the lepidolite are clear and of good color, but are full of 

 checks. 



The rubellite crystals are generally gathered in radial aggre- 

 gates six inches to a foot in diameter, but sometimes occur singly. 

 Single crystals appear with smaller ones branching from one end 

 presenting a tree-like form, or two or more intersect each other 

 so as to form a cross. The aggregates are sometimes slender, with 

 a slightly wavy course. The crystals either branch outward 

 without any order or they all incline one way, giving the appear- 

 ance of a fern. In other specimens lines of crystallization radiate 

 from a common centre ; curved or club-shaped crystals branch- 

 ing from each line. Hematite is sometimes found coating the 

 tourmaline crystals. 



Nine minerals are thus found associated together here — quartz, 

 feldspar, muscovite, garnet, hematite, oligoclase, green, red, and 

 black tourmaline. 



A somewhat similar occurrence of minerals is reported from 

 the mountains of Lower California, but nothing is known about it. 



The granitic poriiDns of the Sierra Nevada and Peninsula 



Ranges contain but few rare or beautilul minerals, and on that 

 account the deposit at Pala is all the more remarkable. 



LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. 



*•• Correspondents are requested to be as brief as possible. The writer's name 

 is in all cases required as proof of good faith. 



On request in advance, one hundred copies of the number containing his 

 communication will be furnished free to any correspondent. 



The editor will be glad to publish any queries consonant with the character 

 of the journal. 



Snake Story. 



Appropos of the interesting notes on snakes, lately published 

 in your columns, I would like to relate the following : — 



I think it was about the middle of last June that our little boy, 

 who is interested in collecting various natural history objects, 

 brought home a full-grown water-snake. He procured a box of 

 generous dimensions, one whole side of which he covered with 

 wire-screen, such as is used in windows. A small slide was made 

 in the top of the box, so that the porcelain tray (such as photog- 

 raphers use for developing trays), which he placed within, could 

 be kept filled with water, and also for the introduction of food. 



This box was thenceforward "the snake den," and here the 

 snake passed the remainder of its existence. A small frog, sev- 

 eral grasshoppers, and various insects were dropped through the 

 opening in the top of the box from time to time, but we are not 

 sure whether the snake ever deigned to taste a morsel during her 

 entire captivity; certain it is, however, that if she did finally 

 taste the frog, she did not find it a very appetizing meal, for the 

 little frog hopped about in the box for days and days without 

 any food it»elf. It was just as apt to rest upon the body of the 

 snake as anywhere else, each seemingly indifferent to the presence 

 of the other. The grasshoppers also were entirely ignored. The 

 snake was left in the box, in the back-yard, during the months 

 of July and August, with no care whatever, we being absent 

 during that time, and the little boy who had agreed to look after 

 it having deserted it. 



What was our surprise, after our return early in September, to 

 find one day that Mrs. Snake had giving birth to thirteen little 

 ones. Such a little, writhing, squirming, snaky mass ! The 

 little snakes were about five inches long, and soon became quite 

 active. In the course of a few weeks they were much more 

 ready to take their own part than their mother seemed to be. She 

 had probably learned by experience that it was of little or no avail 

 to "fight back," and contented herself with running out her 

 forked tongue when irritated, and then trying to creep out of 

 harm's way. The little ones, on the contrary, would crawl up the 

 screen as far as possible, and when pushed off. with a straw or 

 wire introduced through the screen, they would at once crawl up 

 again, run out their little tongues, and show all the rashness of 

 youth. 



Wondering how far the maternal instincts were developed in 

 the mother snake, whether she would try to defend or protect 

 them, the young snakes were frequently irritated, in order to 

 arouse, if possible, her defensive propensities; it was all to no 

 purpose; she seemed a heartless mother, ignoring wholly that her 

 offspring were in danger. A long wire was often thrust into the 

 box, and under a little snake, which could thus be dangled before 

 the old snake in a most irritating manner. But, whether from 

 fear on her own part, or utter indifference to the welfare of her 

 young, she paid no attention whatever to the provocation. 



The mother snake lived until the middle of October, when she 

 succumbed to the white frosts of autumn. 



A few weeks later two of the young snakes fell asleep; one of 

 them was given to a little schoolmate, who put it in his pocket 

 and took it to school, when, lo ! and behold ! the warmth from 

 his body resuscitated it, and the "bad boy" played with it in 

 school. To the teacher's question as to what he had, he replied, 

 "A shoestring 1" 



Learning thus that possibly the remaining little snakes might 

 sleep (hibernate) through the winter, soil, small stones, dead leaves, 

 etc., were placed in the box, and they crept away out of sight. 

 Whether they are dead, or only sleeping, we do not know. They 



