ZIRCONIFEROUS SANDSTONE NEAR ASHLAND, VIRGINIA 271 



beds of sandstone, are common in the formations of the Virginia Coastal 

 Plain near its western margin. So far as the authors are aware these fer- 

 ruginous sandstones have been generally regarded as composed chiefly of 

 quartz grains cemented by iron oxide. At no point bej'ond the Ashland 

 area, so far as known, have thej^ been tested for zircon or other uncommon 

 heavy minerals. 



At the home of Mr. Benjamin Wright, three-eights of a mile southwest 

 of Mr. Sheldon's house, a highly zirconiferous and but slightly consoli- 

 dated sand bed was cut in the lower part of a well 14 feet deep. This bed 

 is probabl.y the same one from which the indurated or hardened fragments 

 of zirconiferous sandstone have come. Perfectly rounded water-worn 

 quartz and quartzite pebbles, mostly quartz, up to 3 inches in diameter 

 and usually white in color, were taken from this well at a depth of 14 feet. 

 None of the zirconiferous material was found south of Mr. Wright's well, 

 and decomposed granite is exposed in a road 200 yards southwest of his 

 house. 



A hundred yards northwest of Mr. Sheldon's house a bed of zirconiferous 

 sand, similar to that cut in the Wright well, was exposed in a shallow pros- 

 pect hole. The zirconiferous sand was 18 inches thick and was underlain 

 by clay and covered bj^ a few inches of soil. 



From the appearance of the float and the sand cut in the prospect hole, 

 the zirconiferous bed is thought to be probably not more than 2 to 3 feet 

 thick. The data at hand indicate that it is probably a narrow lens three- 

 eighths of a mile long and of unknown but probably of less width. 



The zircon was separated from six lump samples weighing from 50 to 

 100 grains each as follows: The lumps were first treated with hydrochloric 

 acid to dissolve the cement of limonite. In two specimens small lumps 

 resisted dissolution and were treated with aqua regia on a steam bath for 

 two days, which resulted in dissolving the cement and disintegrating the 

 sand grains. After washing by decantation the sand was digested with a 

 mixture of sulphuric and hydrochloric acids to remove ilmenite and quartz 

 and then washed. The specimens thus treated yielded zircon as follows: 



