82 ^'i^ Philippine Journal of Science i»i6 



ingredient of the soil, but only until recently has any one thought 

 seriously of extracting it. 



We have before us the list of minerals of Taiwan (Formosa) 

 by Okamoto, of the educational bureau of that island. In this 

 list he gives 50 minerals, less than half the number we have in 

 the following list. Six of these we have not yet found in the 

 Philippines, while there are 3 others which we suspected to be 

 here but have not certainly determined. 



We take this opportunity to urge all the mining men and 

 students of the various schools and colleges to send specimens 

 of any minerals which they may think new or interesting to 

 the Bureau of Science. It is reasonable to expect that when 

 more persons shall become interested in this line and more ob- 

 servant of natural objects this list will be greatly augmented. 

 We are already greatly indebted to many of our friends of the 

 mining community for valuable specimens. 



It is to be regi'etted that up to the present we have not made 

 many studies of a mineralogic nature, as more pressing in- 

 vestigations in the mining fields have prevented us from doing 

 so. The compilation of this preliminary list has suggested 

 several subjects which can be profitably taken up in the future. 



CHECK LIST OF PHILIPPINE MINERALS 



Actinolite— Ca(Mg, Fe)3Si,Oi2. 



This mineral occurs as acicular green crystals in the crys- 

 talline schists of Ilocos Norte. It is classed as one variety of 

 asbestos in the trade. There is no production in the Philippines. 



Agate — SiOj. 



Agate is found in many parts of the Archipelago where silic- 

 ification has occurred. Occasionally some specimens suitable for 

 polishing are found. There is no production in the Philippines. 



Albite. (See Plagioclase). 

 Altaite— PbTe. 



This mineral occurs intimately mixed with sylvanite and free 

 gold in specimens from the Tumbaga mine, Ambos Camarines. 

 It is tin white, sometimes with a bronze tarnish, and occurs as 

 negative crystals or pseudomorphs after quartz crystals or frag- 

 ments. Development work exists only at this mine. 



Amethyst — SiO,. 



Some large crj^stals have been found in Palawan, but this 

 mineral is not common in the Philippine Islands. One large 

 specimen of amethyst crystals from Mount Tumarbon, Palawan, 



