Geology and Mineralogy. 



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8. Beautiful Cinnabar Crystals from China ; by A. II. 

 Petereit, New York (communicated). — In August last a small 

 consignment of very interesting and beautiful cinnabar crystals 

 was sent to the writer from China. They were found at Wan- 

 shanchang (Hamlet of Ten Thousand Hills) Tungyen Prefec- 

 ture, Province of Kweichow. Cinnabar has been obtained before 

 at two different localities in China, but not to compare in 

 beauty and perfection with that illustrated here. These crystals 

 are ordinary and interpenetrating twins of a bright ruby-red 



color ; they are translucent, or in some cases transparent. The 

 matrix is a pure white quartz, the crystals occurring in cavities 

 with quartz crystals. The rare beauty of these crystals led the 

 writer to urge his correspondent in China to scour the country for 

 more and larger specimens. A second consignment of all that 

 could be found has just arrived, and two of these remarkable speci- 

 mens are shown in the figures, reproduced from photographs, 

 actual size. It is stated that the mine from which these were 

 taken is now filled with water, and will not again be worked. 



Am. Jour. Sci. — Fourth Rkrtks. Vot, 1TXVT No 155 — Nnvir.AiPnr.R 1Q0R 



