294 * Scientific Intelligence. 



Fermorite is a new arsenate and phosphate of calcium and 

 strontium described by G. F. Herbert Smith and G. T. Prior 

 from the manganese-ore deposits of India. The mineral is appar- 

 ently hexagonal in crystallization but occurs chiefly massive ; it 

 is pale pinkish white to white in color and translucent with a 

 greasy luster. The hardness is 5, and the specific gravity 3*518. 

 An analysis (Prior) gave : 



As 2 5 P 2 5 CaO SrO F H 2 insol. 



25-23 20-11 44-34 9-93 0"83 tr. 0'08 = 100*52 



The formula deduced is analogous to that of apatite; written in 

 the old form it is : 3[(Ca,Sr) 3 (P,As)„OJ . Ca(OH,F),. The locality 

 is at Sitapar in the Chhindwara district, Central Provinces, India. 

 It is named after Dr. L. Leigh Fermor of the Geological Survey 

 of India. The manganese deposits of Kajlidongri in the Jhabna 

 State have also afforded crystallized specimens of the rare min- 

 eral telasite. — Min. Mag., xvi, 84, 86, 1911. 



Thorveitite is a silicate of certain rare elements (scandium 44 

 p. c, also yttrium, didymium, erbium, et al.) from the Iveland 

 parish in the Satersdal, Southern Norway ; it is described by J. 

 Schetelig and named after the discoverer, O. Thorveit. It occurs 

 in orthorhombic crystals of simple habit, but uniformly twins. 

 The prismatic cleavage (73° 25') is distinct ; the hardness is 6-7 ; 

 the specific gravity 3-571 ; color grayish green with a luster 

 inclining to adamantine. The mean of two analyses gave : 



Si0 2 42-86, R 2 3 57*67, ign. ! 44 = 100*97 



The prominent rare elements present are named above ; their 

 molecular weight is 15 7*1. 



Chromitite is a supposed new chromium mineral to which 

 the formula Fe 2 3 .Cr a 3 is assigned. It is described by M. Z. 

 Zovitschitsch as derived from sands washed down from Mt. 

 Zeljin in Servia. It occurs in brilliant octahedral crystals which 

 are feebly magnetic and have a specific gravity of 3'1 ; they are 

 insoluble in mineral acids. — Sitzungsber. Akad. Wien, cxvii (lib), 

 p. 813, in Zs. Kryst., 1, 83. 



III. Miscellaneous Scientific Intelligence. 



1 . Fourth Report of the Wellcome Tropical Research Labora- 

 tories, at the Gordon Memorial College, Khartoum ; Vol. A. 

 Medical, Andrew Balfour, Director. Pp. 404, with numerous 

 illustrations, including 14 colored plates. Department of Educa- 

 tion, Sudan Government, Khartoum, 1911. — The Wellcome 

 Research Laboratories at Khartoum were founded in 1903 for 

 the investigation of problems connected with the development of 

 the Sudan. Of primary importance is the study of the conditions 

 of hygiene and sanitation, and the nature of the diseases affecting 

 the people and animals, especially the communicable diseases. A 



