﻿201 W. E. Hidden — Contributions to Mineralogy. 



which bad been received from Norton (38139) and Phillips 

 (38146) Counties, Kansas. AH were pure glass in particles 

 never over 0*3 mm in greatest diameter and usually much smaller. 

 They agree closely with those just mentioned, and also with 

 that lately mentioned by Mr. Todd* as occurring in Eastern 

 Nebraska. 



In studying the probable origin or sources of these various 

 beds, the distances which the dust can be carried by atmos- 

 pheric currents is likely to prove of importance. It may there- 

 fore not be out of place to state here, that among a collection 

 of pumices, ashes, etc., from the Krakatoa eruption in 1883, 

 and which were donated to the Museum by T. £L Houghton, 

 was a small sample of the dust (36971) that " showered on board 

 ship Beaconsfield at the rate of one inch per hour for three days, 

 in latitude 11° S., longitude 92° E., or at a distance of 855 

 miles from the scene " of volcanic activity. This dust is a very 

 pure, nearly colorless, gray and highly pumiceous glass, the 

 particles of which vary in size all the way up to 0'25 mm . 



As a matter of economic interest I may say in conclusion 

 that in Kansas and Nebraska these dusts are collected and sold 

 in paper packages as " diamond polishing powder," or put into 

 soap which is sold for general scouring as well as for dental use 

 under the name of " Greyserite " soap. 

 National Museum, Washington, April 30th, 1886. 



ART. XXII. — Contributions to Mineralogy by Wm. Earl HID- 

 DEN ; with Crystallographic Notes by A. Des Cloizeaux. 



1. North Carolina Mineral Localities.\ 



Spodumene. — Many transparent crystals of this species were 

 discovered last summer on the land now known as the Morton 

 tract. This new locality, for spodumene, is situated in Sharpe's 

 Township, Alexander Co., and is distant one-third of a mile 

 nearly west from the original discovery shaft of the Emerald 

 and Hiddenite Mining Company. This locality has already 

 furnished some very highly modified crystals of quartz, tour- 

 maline and beryl,;): and also some inferior crystals of spodu- 

 mene. The writer was led to believe that the gem variety of 

 the spodumene might be found there by the similarity of the 

 quartz crystals found on the surface to those from the gem- 

 bearing pockets on the neighboring land. These quartz crys- 

 tals have the planes + and — 3R predominating, or they enclose 

 silky fibers of a mineral related to amphibole. In the excava- 



* Science. April 23d. 1886. \ Continued from vol. xxiv. Nov., 1882. 



X This Journal, Nov., 1882; Geol. N. C, 1881, p. 92. 



