316 Dr. Carl Ochsenius — On Metalliferous Deposits. 



(bromides, iodides, etc.) in coal, points more to this conclusion than 

 to any other ; for instance, to the opinion that they were formed out 

 of masses of Fucus.^ 



An immense field of inquiry is opened out by the consideration 

 that mother liquors are a solvent of every known metallic substance, 

 not excepting even gold ; and consequently that the majority of 

 metalliferous veins and layers owe their existence to the action of 

 mother liquors upon disseminated particles of metals, which become 

 thus collected and deposited in fissures, cavities, etc. 



Now with reference more particularly to the sentence of Professor 

 Le Conte's article, already mentioned, I may be allowed to refer to 

 the expression " subterranean," because it is quite certain that they 

 were not underground waters which carried the contents of silver 

 and copper to the silver-bearing sandstones of South Utah near Leeds. 



Many theories have been propounded as to the origin of the 

 metalliferous contents of these sandstones, and they have even been 

 attributed to volcanic metallic vapours ; although in the Kio Colorado 

 district, where copper-bearing sandstone forms immense beds, there 

 is no sign of volcanic agency. The volcanic masses in the Leeds 

 region certainly belong to a much more recent period than the sand- 

 stones. To the south-west of these sandstone beds however, at 

 distances from 9 to 14 miles, rock-salt layers are found ; as well as 

 in the north-east of the same (Washington) county; 15 miles from 

 St. George on the border of the Virgin Eiver ; and in many other 

 places within these territories. The mother liquors flowing away 

 from these layers dissolved the metals met with in their course and 

 carried them to the sandstones. The presence of rock-salt in the 

 silver-bearing sandstones of Leeds is easily detected, inasmuch as 

 the residuum of a drop of water, in which pulverized sandstone has 

 been placed, shows under the microscope the characteristic cubes of 

 chloride of sodium. 



Similar metallic impregnations to those of Leeds are noticed in the 

 sandstones of the coast of California (silver and mercury), of the 

 Blind Springs and other localities of Mono County, California (anti- 

 monial silver ore), of New Mexico, of Arizona, of Texas, of New 

 Jersey, of Lake Superior region (copper), etc., etc. In the same 

 manner the sulphides of arsenic have been carried into the clay- 

 layers of the Coyote mining district of Southern Utah. 



Thus the expression subterranean is not applicable to all cases ; 

 certainly not to the cases where metals already deposited in veins 

 have subsequently undergone a change from contact with mother 

 liquor salt solutions coming from above, as for instance in the silver 

 veins of Chile. There the chloride of silver is always found in the 

 highest regions of the veins ; then follows bromide ; and lastly iodide. 



This invariable sequence is in perfect conformity with the different 

 degree of solubility of the mother liquor salts ; of which the iodide 

 salts are most soluble and therefore permeate to greater depths ; after 

 the chlorides and the bromides have given over to the metals their 



^ There is no evidence to be derived from Pala3obotany in support of this theory ; 

 on the contrary, there is abundant evidence to prove that Cryptogamic Land-Plants 

 bmlt up the Coal-measures. — Edit. 



