250 NATIVE ANTIMOjST. 



occurs massive, and in a semi-fluid state. Co- 

 lour and streak silver-white. Lustre metal- 

 lic. Opaque. Slightly brittle. Fractui-e flat- 

 couchoidal. Gives a grating sound when 

 cut with a knife. H. 3 to 3-5. S.G. lU'O 

 to 14 1. 



Comp. Hg2, Ag = quicksilver 64 93, silver 

 35'U7 = 100; and Hg^, Ag — quicksilver 73*53, 

 silver 26-47 = 100. • 



BB the quicksilver volatilizes, and a 

 bead of silver is left. 



Soluble in nitric acid. 



Amalgam occasionally forms very per- 

 fect crystals, with numerous modifications 

 of the rhombic dodecahedron, at Moschel- 

 landsberg, in Deux Fonts ; also at Kosenau, 

 in Hungary; Almaden, in Spain; Chili, 

 &c. It is usually accompanied by Quick- 

 silver and Cinnabar in ferruginous and argil- 

 laceous veins, and is said to occur at the 

 intersection of veins of mercury and silver. 



It may be distinguished from Native Sil- 

 ver by imparting a silvery lustre when rub- 

 bed warm upon it, and by colour, fracture, 

 tenacitj^, specific gravity, and sound. 



Name. From f^(x.K(x,'y[x,x (from i^«.x6t,(r(Tca^ to 

 soften). 



Brit. Mus , Case 2. 



31. P. G. Principal Floor, Wall-case 23. 



Native Antimony. Hexagonal: gene- 

 rally occurs reniform and amorphous, with 

 a granular texture, and lamellar. Colour 

 and streak tin-Avhite, but acquires a yellow 

 tarnish on exposure. Lustre splendent-me- 

 tallic. Yields to the knife. Somewhat sec- 

 tile. Rather brittle. H. 3 to 3-5. S.G. 6-6 

 to 6-72. 



Fis. 301. 



Comp. Antimony, sometimes with arsenic, 

 iron, or silver. 



Analysis, by Klaproth : 



Antimony . . . , , 98 00 



Silver 1-00 



Iron 0-25 



99-25 

 BB fuses readily, and continues to burn 

 though the heat be removed ; by continu- 

 ing the heat, may be entirely volatilized in 

 the form of a grey vapour ; but if the fused 

 mass be allowed to cool slowly, it becomes 

 covered with brilliant white acicular crys- 

 tals of oxide of antimony. 



Localities. Sahlberg, in Sweden, in Calc 

 Spar. Andreasberg, in the Harz. Allemont, 



NATIVE BISMUTH, 

 in Dauphine, in gneiss. Przibram, in Bo- 

 hemia. Mexico. 



Native Antimony may be distinguished 

 from Antimonial Silver, with which it is 

 frequently associated, by its behaviour be- 

 fore the blow-pipe. 



Name. The name is derived, according to 

 Furetieve,from and, against, and vioine, monk, 

 from the circumstance of certain monks 

 having been poisoned by it ; Mbrin says it 

 is from «.)iTt, and m-ovo?, alone, because it is not 

 found alone, but associated with ores of other 

 metals. 



Brit. Mus., Case 3. 



Native Arsenic. The most common 

 form is that' of reniform and stalactitic 

 masses, often mammillated, and splitting ofi 

 in thin successive layers like those of a shell. 

 It possesses a somewliat metallic lustre, and 

 a tin-white colour and streak, which soon 

 tarnish to dark grey. Fracture uneven, and 

 tinelv granular. Yields to the knife. Easily 

 frangible. PL 3-5. S.G. 5-93. 



Comp. Arsenic, often with antimony, and 

 traces of gold, silver, iron, bismuth, or 

 cobalt. 



55 fuses readily, burns with a pale bluish 

 flame, and dense white alliaceous fumes; 

 and, when pu.re, is entirely volatilized. 



Localities English. Dolcoath, and most 



tin mines in Cornwall. — Foreign. In the 

 silver mines of Freiberg, in Saxony. The 

 Harz. Bohemia. Transylvania. Norway. 

 In large masses at Zimeoff, in Siberia. Al- 

 sace, at the Ste Marie-aux-Mines. Haver- 

 hill and Jackson, New Hampshire, U. S. 



Name. From oc^nvtxov^ masculine, on ac- 

 count of its powerful properties. 



Brit. Mus., Case 4. 



This ore is one of the sources of the 

 arsenic of commei-ce, but, owing to its 

 scarcity, only to a small amount. 



The principal sources of the arsenic used 

 in the arts are arsenical ores of cobalt, iron, 

 and nickel. (See Orpiment and Realgar.) 



Native Bismuth. Hexagonal : with a 

 perfect basal cleavage. Occurs in rhom- 

 bohedrons nearly approaching to a cube ; also 

 plumose, reticulated, foliated and granular. 

 Colour whitish, with a faint reddish tinge i 



Fig. 302. 



generally with an iridescent tarnish, espe- 

 cially in those varieties which contain 



