198 F. V. Hayden on the Lignite deposits of the West. 
structure has already been noted by General Kokscharov in his 
Mineralogy of Russia, Most of the masses exhibited are in 
the form of prismatic columns from one to three feet long, and 
a few inches only in thickness, looking as if they had been split 
out, It may be sawn and cut into any desired shape and gives 
sharp and firm angles and points, and is apparently well adap- 
ted for pencils, for which it is largely used. 
Nephrite —The exhibitor of the Siberian graphite sent, also, 
S pate palisand block of nephrite of dark green color weighing 
; 8. ; 
Stassfurth Mine Products. —This remarkable deposit of 
potash salts is being explored with increasing success, and its — 
nature and products were well shown by specimens of the dif- 
ferent minerals in connection with a very carefully made model. 
A large arched recess was built out of large blocks of the rock 
salt, in which the numerous wavy sheets of anhydrite could be 
easily seen. Glass jars arranged about this recess contained 
samples of carnallite, boracite, tachhydrite, kieserite, polyhalite 
and kainite, 
Borax—aA very interesting series of specimens from the 
Borax lake in California was shown in the collections from that 
state. Some of the crystals were nearly six inches long, and 
from two to three inches thick. Smaller crystals occur of all 
sizes, and they are all found in a thick blue clay, at the bottom 
of the lake. 
Sulphur.—Mr. J, Mottura of Turin, exhibited a fine collec- 
tion of crystallized sulphur, celestine, strontianite, and gypsum 
om Sicily. 
_ Ant. XXIII—Notes on the Lignite Deposits of the West ;* bY 
F. V. Haypen, U. 8. Geologist. Published by permission 
of the Commissioner of the U. 8. General Land Office. 
Tue construction of the Pacific Rail Roads across the conti- 
the first range of the Rocky Mountains, ‘hore than 525 miles 
west of the Missouri river. The earth is now-called upon more 
the most important practical questions of the day. It is my 
purpose in this article, merely to state briefly some observations 
* Abstract from forthcoming Report of U. S. Geological Survey of Nebraska." 
