226 



MALACHITE. 



United States. Cuba. Chili. S. Africa. 

 Mines at Bembe in Western Africa. 



Name. From /^«A«%"-i, the marsh-mallow ; 

 on account of its resemblance in colour to 

 the leaves of that plant. 



Malachite is a copper-stalactite, or stalag- 

 mite. Independently of its value as an ore 

 of copper, Malachite is used as a green pig- 

 ment under the name of emerald-green. It 

 is also in great request for ornamental pur- 

 poses, on account of the variety and beauty 

 of its markings, and the high degree of 

 polish of which it is susceptible. Its soft- 

 ness, liowever, renders it of less value than 

 it othervv^ise would be in jewelry. The com- 

 pact specimens are worked into snuff-boxes, 

 vases, &e. ; and at St. Petersburg large 

 tables are made by joining pieces of the 

 stone so as to render the concentric lines 

 continuous. Very fine specimens of Mala- 

 chite ornaments were contained in the Kus- 

 sian department of the Great Exhibition of 

 1851. 



The handsomest masses of Malachite are 

 procured from Siberia, about 100 miles south 

 of Bogoslofsk, and at Nijny-Taguilsk. At 

 the latter localit}' an enormous mass of solid 

 Malachite was met with, 18 feet long by 9 

 in 'width, which was estimated to contain 

 500,000 lbs. of pure and solid Malachite. 

 Pine specimens are also found in Australia 

 at Burra Burra ; and on the west coast of 

 Africa. 



Sir Eoderick Murchison, in his work on 

 the G-eology of Russia, in noticing the above- 

 mentioned mass, states that it affords a 

 strong indication that Malachite has been 

 formed by a cupriferous solution, in the 

 manner of ordinary stalagmites, and adds 

 that " on the whole, we are disposed to view 

 it as having resulted from copper solutions 

 emanating from all the porous, loose, sur- 

 rounding mass ; and which, trickling through 

 it to the lowest cavity upon the subjacent 

 rock, have, in a series of ages, produced 

 this wonderful subterranean incrustation," — 

 Geology of Russia, p. 374. 



Pliny, writing of the Malachite, or Molo- 

 chites, says : — '• Commended it is highly in 

 signets for to scale faire : and besides it is 

 supposed to be, by a naturall vertue that it 

 hath, a countercharme to preserve little 

 babes and infants from all witchcrafts and 

 sorceries." — Plini/, book xsxviii. chap. 8. 



Brit. Mus., Case 51. 



3LP.G. Principal floor. Case 11 (Burra 

 Burra); Wall-cases 2 (British); 15 and 16 

 (Foreign); 37 and 38 (Burra Biirra); 39 

 (W. Africa). 



MALTHACITE. 

 Malacolite. Malacolithe, Haiti/, 

 Hausmann. A variety of Augite (Sahlite). 

 Analysis, from Orrijerfvi, by H. Rose ; 



Silica 54-64 



Lime 24-94 



Magnesia . . , . 18-00 

 Protoxide of manganese . 2-00 

 Protoxide of iron . .1-08 



100-66 

 Name. From ^kX«;^s?, soft, and >J0o;, stone. 

 Brit. Mus., Case 34. 



Malacone, Scheerer. Malakon. Pro- 

 bably an altered Zircon, from which it 

 differs only in somewhat less density and 

 hardness, and in containing 3 per cent, of 

 water. Colour brown. Lustre vitreous to 

 subresinous. Streak white or reddish-brown. 

 H. 6-5. S.G. 3-9 to 4. 



Comp. ^rSi + MI. 



Fig. 275. 



Analysis, from Ilitteroe, by Scheerer : 

 Silica ..... 31-31 



Zirconia 



. 63-40 



Peroxide of iron . 



. 0-41 



Yttria . 



. 0-34 



Lime . 



. 0-39 



Magnesia 



, 0-11 



Water . 



. 3-03 



98-99 



BB gives off water and behaves like 

 Zircon. 



Localities. Ilmen Mountains, in Siberia. 

 Hitteroe, in Norway. Chanteloube, Haute 

 Vienne, France. 



Name. From /MzXctfcos, soft. 



Brit. Mus., Case 26. 



Maltha, Kirwan. Earthy mineral pitch. 

 See Earthy Bitumen. 



Mai,thacite, Breithaupt. A clayey sub- 

 stance occurring massive and in thin plates. 

 Colour white or yellowish. Translucent. 

 Soft, like wax ; or friable. S G. 1-99 to 2. 



Comp. Hydrated octosilicate of alumina^ 



or Al bi8 + 20H. 





Analysis, by Meissner : 





Silica . 



. 50-2 



Alumina 



. 10-7 



Peroxide of iron 



. s-i 



Lime 



. 0-2 



Water . 



. 35-8 



100-0 



