NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 565 



George F. Kunz, The Jagersfontein Diamond, the Largest 

 ever found: the History of its Cut- 

 ting and Ultimate Disposition. 



John J. Stevenson, The Coals of Spitzbergen. 



James F. Kempfl New Sources of Supply of Iron Ore. 



Summary of Papers. 



Dr. Kunz said that the Excelsior- Tiffany diamond., the largest 

 diamond ever found up to the present time, weighed 970 

 carats, and was a gem of most marvellous purity. This dia- 

 mond was most expertly cleaved into pieces, and from it 

 were cut ten gems weighing from 13 to 68 carats each, a total 

 of 340 carats, and these were imported into the United States. 

 Dr. Kunz also stated that carbon silicide had been detected 

 in the meteorite from the Canon Diablo by Dr. Henri Moissan 

 of Paris, together with transparent diamond and black diamond. 

 As carbon silicide has been made artificially with the electric 

 furnace by Messrs. Cowles, Acheson, and Moissan heretofore, 

 and was first determined in nature by Professor Moissan, if 

 agreeable to Professor Moissan he would suggest the name 

 Moissanite for this compound. 



The paper was illustrated by models and photographs. It 

 was discussed by Professors Kemp, Stevenson, the chairman, 

 and others. Brief replies were made by Dr. Kunz. 



Professor Stevenson said that the coals of Spitzbergen, accord- 

 ing to Nathorst, are in great part of Jurassic age. The mining 

 operations are confined to Advent Bay, a branch of the Icefiord 

 of West Spitzbergen, where coal has been opened on both 

 sides of the bay. The deposit has been followed northwardly 

 for about ten miles, and for an equal distance westwardly. 



The chief enterprise is on the easterly side of the bay, where 

 the bed is somewhat less than five feet thick. The coal from 

 the upper part is splint- like, while that from the lower part 

 is brilliant and somewhat prismatic. The divisions show a 

 notable difference in the percentage of volatile, the upper 

 containing about ten per cent, more than the lower. The 

 coal shows no tendency to coke, and that from the lower portion 

 is attacked energetically by caustic potash. 



