Miscellaneous Intelligence. 399 



num in the country, having issued a circular giving information 

 as to the nature and occurrence of the metal, and instructions as 

 to sending samples, especially of heavy sands from placer mines, 

 to Washington for thorough examination. A list is also given of 

 the various localities, chiefly in California, Oregon, Canada and 

 South America, in which platinum has been discovered, with indi- 

 cations as to which regions offer the most promise. It is to be 

 hoped that this effort will result in developing the supply of the 

 metal which is so much needed. 



7. Beitrage zur Mineralogie von Japan ; herausgegeben von 

 T. Wada. No. 1. Pp. 1-21. Tokio, 1905.— The recently issued 

 volume on " The Minerals of Japan " by T. Wada was noticed in 

 the* January number. The same author has also undertaken the 

 publication of a series of contributions to the mineralogy of 

 Japan, of which the first number is now in hand. This contains 

 an interesting account by Kotora Jimbo of crystals of danburite of 

 Obira, Bungo Province, with list of forms observed and angles 

 measured. Another paper by the same author describes the 

 siliceous oolite of Tateyama, Etchu Province. This oolite either 

 consists of loose colorless spherules of opaline silica or forms a 

 loosely coherent mass of colorless or gray spherules cemented by 

 partly anisotropic colorless opal, or opal mixed with decomposed 

 rock particles ; the spherules are also found in loose form. 

 Microscopic examination shows a concentric structure with a 

 series of rings. These rings are in part nearly structureless and 

 isotropic, in part fibrous and doubly refractive ; the fibers are 

 negative ; between crossed nicols a black cross is obtained. The 

 hardness of the spherules is about 6, the specific gravity nearly 2. 

 They contain 93 per cent Si0 2 and about 4 per cent loss on 

 ignition. After ignition more than 80 per cent of the powder 

 is dissolved in four hours in KHO with eight parts of water. 



The deposit described occurs in connection with the small 

 crater lake of Shin-yu, 70 miles in diameter, and not far from 

 the well-known hot springs of Tateyama. The lake is now filled 

 with hot, gray, turbid water, from which abundant gas-bubbles 

 issue ; formerly the water is stated to have been cold. 



The occurrence is one of much interest, since, as remarked by 

 the author, it is the modern equivalent of the ancient springs of 

 Pennsylvania described by various authors, among them Barbour 

 and Torrey, see this Journal, xl, 246, 1890, also Wieland, ibid., 

 iv, 262, 1897 ; the latest investigation is by Diller, Bull. U. S. G. 

 Surv. 150, p. 95, 1900. The spherules of Tateyama differ from 

 those of "Pennsylvania in their lower specific gravity, their less 

 crystalline appearance and greater solubility in caustic potash. 



III. Miscellaneous Scientific Intelligence. 



1. National Academy of Sciences. — The spring meeting of 

 the National Academy was held at Washington, April 18 to 20. 



Five new members were elected at the meeting : Arthur A. 

 Noyes, Boston, Mass. ; Michael I. Pupin, New York City; John 



