204 J. L. Smith—Tantalite from Alabama. 
Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 1876) a mineral which he considered to 
be tantalite from Yancey County, North Carolina. There must 
however have been some mistake about the matter, for he states 
the specific gravity of the mineral to be 5807. If this deter- 
mination was given correctly this could not have been tantalite. 
I have found columbite from the North Carolina localities with 
specific gravities from 5°6 to 6°38, varying according to the 
amount of tantalic acid present with the columbic acid. There 
is no instance. that I know of where tantalite has as low a spe- 
cific gravity as 7. Z 
I am indebted to Professor Eugene Smith, State Geologist of 
Alabama, for the specimen of tantalite that first came under 
my observation; he suspected it to be tantalite and sent it to 
me for verification; he had obtained the specimen from Judge 
Bently, to whom we owe what we know about the manner of 
its occurrence. 
It is found in Coosa County, Alabama, detached from any 
rock, lying loose with “bowlders” (as Judge Bentley calls 
them) of granite more or less disintegrated. As, however, this 
region belongs to the older series of rocks (Professor Eugene 
Smith has not yet explored it) these blocks of granite are doubt- 
less not bowlders, but detached masses, weather worn. They are 
found both under and on the surface for miles, ranning north- 
east and southwest. cross these in a direction northwest and 
southeast runs a ridge filled with quartz and flint rocks and at 
the intersection of the two, over about an acre of surface, some 
fifty specimens of tantalite have been collected, from the size 
of a pea to a lump one and a quarter pounds in weight. — 
araci -emens.—They are irregular masses, without 
the slightest indication of crystalline form, just such pieces as I 
have obtained from the locality at Limoges; they are more or 
ess rounded, with a ready cleavage in one direction; the spect- 
mens although long exposed, have undergone but little altera- 
tion, as indicated by examination made on several specimens. 
The specific gravity varied from 7°305 to 7°401. 
n analysis it was found to consist of: 
ee 9°65 : 
eee Lc. pieces 1°10 } 81°62 metalic acids. 
Stee Se ge 
Manganese protoxide, ..____- 3°72 
Tron me A ce 13°51 
Copper Gxule,. 6... “89 
99°74 
The tantalic acid contains very little columbic acid. 
_ Judging from the discoveries already made, and the large 
size of some of the pieces of tantalite, we may expect some 
important results from the future explorations in Alabama. 
