ROLLE LIGNITE OF KAINACH, STYRIA. 7 



iron, and by neutralizing the solution with carbonate of lime ; basic 

 arseniate of iron is precipitated, together with an excess of oxide of 

 iron, the solution remaining free of arsenic and iron. The cobalt 

 is precipitated from the neutral solution by a solution of subchlorate 

 of lime ; and afterwards the nickel, in the state of hydrated oxide, 

 by the addition of caustic lime. This oxy hydrate undergoes drying 

 and heating to redness ; it is then ground to a fine powder, brought 

 to a tenacious consistence by means of black meal and syrup, cut 

 into cubical pieces, and again submitted to a red heat. The nickel, 

 so reduced to a metallic state, preserves the cubical form, if the 

 oxide had the proper degree of purity. Some of these nickel cubes 

 were analysed by M. Wisoky, who found only ]^ per cent, of other 

 metals, with a trifling proportion of cobalt. 



From Karl von Hauer's analysis * of the nickel extracted by M. 

 Patera from the rich silver-ores of Joachimsthal, it appears that 100 

 parts of this nickel contain 



Nickel 86-4 



Cobalt, 12-0 



Iron 0-22 



Sulphur 0* 1 



Silica 1-4 



Copper very slight trace. 



Hence it may be regarded as equal, if not superior, in purity to 

 the best sorts produced in England and Saxony. 



[Count M.] 



On the Lignite o/'Kainach, Styria. By Dr. Rolle. 



[Proceed. Imp. Geol. Instit. Vienna, November 6, 1855.] 



The tertiary basin of the Kainach Valley in Styria, West of Gratz, 

 follows the course of the rivulets Gaessnitz, Lankowitz, Graden, and 

 Kainach, forming a deep sinuosity in the crystalline rock district of 

 Central Styria. It is enclosed on the south and west by mica-schist, 

 gneiss, and transition-limestone, on the north by Gosau-sandstone, 

 and it communicates on the eastward with the basins of Southern 

 Styria and Hungary. Its average length is 4900 fathoms (10,163 

 yards), and breadth 1200 fathoms (2489 yards); so that its total 

 area embraces about f of an Austrian square-mile. The whole of 

 this surface consists of one lignite-bed, having a depth varying fi'om 

 3 or 4 fathoms (6-222— 8-3 yards) to 10 or 14 fathoms (2074— 

 29*04 yards). The bed is generally horizontal, or slightly undu- 

 lates ; sometimes it has a dip of considerable steepness in the vici- 

 nity of the surrounding rocks of older date. Its thickness, generally 

 varying from 3 to 15 fathoms (6*222 to 31*11 yards), increases 

 sometimes even to 20 fathoms (41*48 yards), and averages not more 

 than 8 or 10 fathoms (16*59 to 20*74 yards). The lignite-bed is 



* Communicated to the Imp. Geol. Institute, Nov. 15, 1855. 



c2 



