312 Chronicles of Science. [April, 



of some notice.* A good plate of the crystals accompanies the 

 paper. 



M. Felix Pisani presented, in December last, to the Academie des 

 Sciences, some analyses of Fibro-ferrite found in the mines of Pallieres, 

 in the Departement du Gard, France. The composition of this mineral, 

 which is a variety of Copiapite, described by Prideaux,f was found to 

 be — Sulphuric Acid 29*72, Oxide of Iron 3340, Lime traces and water 

 36-88. 



The same chemist and mineralogist also made an additional com- 

 munication on some new minerals from Cornwall. Langite we have 

 already named. Brochantite has hitherto been found only in Nassau, 

 Siberia, and in Cumberland. It has now been found in Cornwall. 

 The Cornish Brochantite exists in little crystals of the ordinary form, 

 transparent, and of a vitreous lustre. The composition was found to 

 be — Sulphuric Acid, 17*2 ; Oxide of Copper, 68*8 ; Oxide of Iron and 

 Lime, 1*0 ; Lime, 0*8 ; and Water, 13'2 ; which gives the ordinary 

 formula of Brochantite, Cu 3 S 3 + 3 aq. 



Polianite, a variety of Pyrolusite, hitherto unknown in Cornwall, 

 has been found there by M. Pisani. This is, says he, " a new locality 

 to add to those already known of this interesting species, which I 

 regard, with M. Breithaupt, as being the primitive peroxide of 

 manganese par excellence." 



M. Pisani also notices a porphyroidal granite, in which the mica 

 is replaced by tourmaline, and which belongs to the series of tourma- 

 liniferous granites of M. Senff. The name of Luxulianite is proposed 

 for this species, " because it is found in the parish of Luxulian, near 

 Lostwithiel, where it was first recognized by Mr. Eichard Tailing, to 

 whom also is due the discovery of Langite, Brochantite, Devilline, 

 and Polianite, in Cornwall." \ 



The analyses of several minerals found in the kingdom of Siam 

 was communicated to the Academy of Sciences, at Paris, at the last 

 meeting of the year 1864. These were Gold, Corundum, Oriental 

 Emerald, Iron Ores, some Bitumens, and Clays. 



M. Dumas, in the name of M. Marignac, of Geneva, communicated 

 to the Academie des Sciences, on the 16th of January, a memoir upon 

 the " Combinations of Niobium." The author of this memoir arrives 

 at the conclusion that the Hyponiobium of M. Henry Eose is identical 

 with Niobium. 



M. Dove has given the Physico-Mathematical Class of the Berlin 

 Academy of Sciences the results of an elaborate examination of the 

 Quartz of Euba, the optical properties of which are compared with 

 those of Carthamine and other substances, showing the phenomena of 

 Dichroism. 



M. Schroter has shown that by peculiar treatment, described by 



* 'Philosophical Magazine,' vol. xxviii., No. 129, p = 502. 

 f See ' Glossary of Mineralogy,' by H. W. Bristowe, in which work, however, the 

 locality is stated to be Chili only. 

 J ' Les Mondes,' tome vi. p. 585. 



