Domestic Intelligence. 197 



choidal. It is opaque : scratches glass : and possesses a spe- 

 cific gravity of 3.5. A fragment brought within the exterior 

 flame of the blow pipe, melted with intumescence into a glo- 

 bule, of a metallic lustre, and, which, when reduced to powder, 

 was taken up by the magnet. It was soluble in nitric acid. 



The following chemical trial confirmed the opinion I had 

 formed concerning it from the above characters. Fifty grains 

 in the state of an impalpable powder, were boiled with pot- 

 ash, to dryness, in a silver crucible. The alkaline mass, hence 

 resulting, was lixiviated with water, and the insoluble part 

 being separated and dried, had assumed a blackish color, and 

 weighed more than the entire mineral employed. The wa- 

 tery lixivium was slightly supersaturated with nitric acid, and 

 then boiled in order to expel any carbonic acid which might 

 have combined with the alkali ; — lime water being now ad- 

 ded, a copious, white flocculent precipitate took place, which 

 was phosphate of lime, and when dried and weighed, indicated 

 a proportion of phosphoric acid in the mineral, equal to thirty 

 per cent. The residue, which resisted the action of the alkali, 

 was repeatedly digested in acetous acid ; a considerable quan- 

 tity* of red oxide of iron was deposited. The fluid supposed 

 to contain acetite of manganese, gave, as was expected, on 

 the addition of potash, a copious precipitate of oxide of man- 

 ganese. 



Disseminated through the phosphate of manganese, and 

 slightly adhering to it, occurs the carbonate of manganese, in 

 a pulverulent state, of a delicate red color. Owing to the pres- 

 ence of this substance, the streak of the phosphate of man- 

 ganese, may, at first be taken to be, of a deep red color, which 

 we shall find not to be the fact, if we make trial of a more 

 compact mass, or of a surface which is the result of a cross 

 fracture, when we shall find it to be of a greyish brown. 

 Intermingled with it also, are scales of mica, and occasionally 

 a yellowish brown substance, having a laminated structure, 

 and a considerable lustre, which appears to be garnet. 



If I am not in an error, this is the only locality of phosphate 

 of manganese in the United States, with the exception of 

 Sterling, Ms. where, only a very few, minute specimens have 

 been found, accompanying the spodumene ; and as Limoges 

 and Bavaria, its only other localities, afford it only in very 

 small quantities, I doubt not, that this occurrence of it, espe- 

 cially, as it is abundant, will appear interesting to the min- 

 eralogist. 



