Geology and, Natural History. 165 



It occurs in monoclinic crystals tabular parallel to a (100) ; they 

 are usually twins and often complex. The color is yellow to 

 dark brown, the luster greasy to vitreous, the hardness 6*5, and 

 the specific gravity 5*008. It is announced as a tantalo-niobate 

 probably near to yttrotantalite, but the author (priv. contrib.) has 

 stated later that Prof. Blomstrand finds it to consist of zirconia ; 

 it hence is to be united with baddeleyite. (Jahrb. Min., ii, 141, 

 1892,). Fletcher (letter of Jan. 7) suggests that the original 

 qualitative tests may have been made upon a different mineral, 

 from that described crystallographically and analyzed by Blom- 

 strand. 



Folgerite, Betjeite, Whartonite. — Dr. Stephen H. Emmens 

 has recently given (Jour. Anier. Chem. Soc, xiv, No. 7) the 

 results of an examination of some nickel minerals from the Sud- 

 bury district, Algoma, Ontario, to which the above names have 

 been given. 



Folgerite occurs massive with a light bronze-yellow color and 

 grayish black streak; specific gravity 4-73; hardness 3-5; non- 

 magnetic. One of three analysis is given below (I), the composi- 

 tion corresponds to NiFeS„ or intermediate between millerite and 

 pentlandite. It is named after Commodore W. M. Folger of the 

 IT. S. Navy. 



Blueite occurs massive with olive-gray to bronze color, black 

 streak, specific gravity 4-2 and hardness 3 to 3"5 ; it is n on mag- 

 netic. An analysis (deducting gangue) is given under II below ; 

 in composition it is a nickeliferous pyrite with Fe : Ni ■=. 12 : 1, 

 though it differs in being easily soluble in nitric acid without 

 separation of sulphur. It is named after Mr. Archibald Blue, 

 now Director of the Bureau of Mines of Ontario. 



Whartonite occurs in cellular form with granular structure, the 

 cavities being lined with minute cubic crystals ; color bronze-yel- 

 low, streak black; hardness 4 and specific gravity 3*73 : About 

 10 p. c. of the fine powder was found to be magnetic and the 

 analysis leads to the conclusion that it is a mixture of a nickel- 

 iron disulphide with some magnetite; deducting the latter the 

 results in III ai'e obtained, corresponding to (Fe, Ni)S 2 with Fe: Ni 

 ==7:1. It is named after Mr. Joseph Wharton, of Camden, N. J. 



The analyses are as follows : 



S Fe Ni 



I. Folgerite 31-10 33*70 35-20 = 100 



II. Blueite 55-29 41-01 3-70=100 



III. Whartonite 52-29 41-44 6-27 = 100 



To these analyses of the Sudbury nickel ores may be added 

 those quoted in Dana's Mineralogy (1892, pp. 65, 74, 75), also 

 those by Hoffmann mentioned in the January number (p. 76) ; 

 it can hardly be supposed that all of these ores are distinct homo- 

 geneous minerals. 



Nickel-Skutterudite. A gray metallic mineral of granular 

 structure occurring in silver ore (native silver) near Silver City, 



