360 J. L. Smith— Examination of American Minerals. 



mineral contained not one but two metallic acids ; one of these 

 was tantalum, and the other he supposed to be a new metal 

 which he named niobium.* 



Subsequent examination, however, convinced Eose (and his 

 n>n -InsHjns have been confirmed bv others who have repeated 

 his experiments), that the two &• .,.,] f rom the 



Bo i, umais columbite were really the original columbic acid of 

 Hatcbett, discovered in 1801, and the tantalic acid discovered 

 by Ekeberg in 1802. Instead, however, of calling the first 

 mentioned acid niobic acid, its original name should have been 

 left to it. The result of Eose's researches was in fact sitnplv 

 the demonstration of the actual difference of Columbian, and 

 i : for Hatchett's discovery was clear, precise, and well 

 made out, and has never been controverted. 



This being a correct summary of the history of the composi- 

 tion of the columbium minerals, it is but right, just, and in 

 with chemical and mineralogical precedence, that 

 the name given by the discoverer should replace that of nio- 

 bium, which originated forty-five years later. 



A point of less importance, but worthy of some considera- 

 tll ;' ii - is ; tilal t!ii< element derived its name from the country in 

 which it was discovered, it being the first and up to the pres- 

 ent time, the onlv element discovered in that part of America 

 usually named Columbia. 



In addition to the above, an interesting fact connected with 

 the minerals of this group, is, thai save one or 



two, have been discovered in greater quantities and in larger 

 Crystals m the United States than in other known localities; 

 for crystals of columbite weighing from one-half to seven 

 kilograms have been found at ~or near the locality where the 

 specimen was obtained that was sent to Hatchett. and several 



other localities t :ir -em I from the original one have since 



been brought to light. More recently, the highlv ii 



'lumbate, samarskite, has been discovered in a local- 



rth Carolina, and already at one spot five hundred 



kilograms have been taken out. Among the minerals from this 



■-. besides the samarskite and columbite, I have 



detected two new columbates, and also good specimens of 



euxenite. More recently, I have found columbite embedded 



-' 



croai El Paso County, Colorado, and which are the 



~* -" mineralogists. 



Besides the abov 



although 



I in size, has been found non of Eock- 



Mass. In fact, if we look at the localil " 

 ^ Rose still supposing that this tantalum was the sa 



