G. J. Brush on Childrenite from Hebron in Maine. 257 
Art. XXV.—On Childrenite from Hebron in Maine; by 
Gro. J. BRUSH. 
In an article on the occurrence of amblygonite at Hebron, 
published in this Journal, vol. xxxiv, p. 243, 1862, I mentioned 
that it was sometimes associated with a peculiar compact vari- 
ety of apatite, containing minute prismatic crystals of a hair- 
brown mineral. “The small amount of this hair-brown mineral, 
at that time in my possession, prevented me from determining 
fully its specific characters; but subsequent explorations of the 
Hebron locality, made by Mr. Oscar D. Allen, have furnished 
a sufficient quantity of the substance for examination, to lead 
to the conclusion that the mineral is probably a variety of chil- 
drentte, 
occurs in minute prismatic crystals, rarely over three lines 
in length and half a line in breadth and height: a full descrip- 
tion of the crystalline form together with a comparison with the 
Tavistock childrenite is given beyond by Professor Cooke. I 
other characters are as follows. Hardness =5. Specific gravity 
=3°03 (taken on less than half a gramme of fragments of crystals). 
Color dark hair-brown. Translucent. Lustre vitreous and bril- 
liant. Streak white. Fracture uneven. Many of the crystals 
are partially decomposed, and converted into a lustreless earthy 
material. When heated in the closed tube, the unaltered mate- 
rial gives off neutral water, and the ignited residue is magnetic. 
Before the blowpipe in the forceps it swells up into ramifications 
and fuses on the edges, giving the flame a pale-green color, 
indicative of phosphoric acid. Fusibility =4, on v. Kobell’s 
Scale. Heated on charcoal becomes magnetic; with soda in 
the platinum loo gives a strong reaction for manganese ; with 
borax and salt of phosphorus gives reactions for both manga- 
nese and iron. Decomposed by chlorhydric acid leaving traces 
of silica as an insoluble residue. Qualitative analysis proved 
the mineral to be a hydrous phosphate of iron, alumina and 
or pew : h the physical and tic 
“his composition, together with the physical and pyrognos' 
aracters, ioe to indicate that the dived is identical with 
childrenite, a view that is further supported by the crystallo- 
sh. Hie examination made by Professor Cooke. Only a very 
w imens of the Hebron childrenite have as yet been 
found. This rare species has never before been observed in 
America. 
Am. Jour. Scr.—Szcoxp Serres, Vor. XXXVI, No. 107.—Sepr., 1863. 
33 
