WA.TER SAPPHIRE. 



Water Sapphire. A name by which 

 the very pale bUie variety of Oriental Sap- 

 phire is sometimes called. 



Waterdrops. a name sometimes given 

 to clear limpid pebbles of Topaz. 



Wavellit, Klaproth. Wavellite, Dana, 

 Phillips, Dufreitoy, Rhombic: primary 

 form a right rhombic prism. Occurs in 

 minute crystals, which generally form hemi- 

 spherical or globular concretions, with a 

 radiated structure. Colour yellowish-white, 

 greyish, green or bluish ; sometimes brown 

 or black from decomposition. Translucent. 

 Lustre vitreous or silkv. Streak Avhite. 

 Brittle. H. 3-5 to 4. SiG. 2-33 to 2-36. 



Fig. 454. 



Comp. Phosphate of Alumina or (Al^P^ 



+ 18H)+A12F3 = alumina 33-8, phosphoric 

 acid 34-9, aluminium 1-5, fluorine 3 1, water 

 26-6-100. 



Analysis, from Barnstaple, by Berzelius : 



Alumina 









35'35 



Phosphoric a 



cid . 







33-40 



Peroxides of 



iron 



and 



man- 





ganese 









1-25 



Lime . 



. 







50 



Hydrofluoric 

 Water . 



acid. 







2-06 









26-80 



99-36 

 BB infusible, but intumesces, becomes 

 white and opaque, losing its crystalline form 

 and imparting a slight bluish-green tint to 

 the flame. 



Soluble in acids, and in caustic potash. 

 Heated with sulphuric acid it frequently 

 evolves vapours of fluoric acid, which 

 slightly corrode the glass. 



Localities. — English. Cornwall : Stenna 

 Gwynn, near St. Austell, on decomposing 

 granite ; Kit Hill, on elvan. Barnstaple 

 in Devonshire, on clay-slate. Near New- 

 castle. — Scotch. Shiant Islands. — Irish. 

 Clonmel, in dark apple-green mammillary 

 masses. Traeton, Cork, in radiating crys- 

 talline aggregations of a bright green colour. 

 Near Cahermoyle, in Limerick (see Pyroe- 

 LEUTRic Wavellite) ; also in the townland 

 of Lisgordan, a mile to the north of Caher- 

 moyle, formi)ig two large veins in lower 

 Coal-measure shales. — Foreign. Zbirow, in 



WEBSTERITE. 403 



Bohemia. Amberg, in Bavaria (see Lasio- 

 nite). Striegis in Frankenberg, Saxony 

 (see Striegesan). Weinbach near Weil- 

 berg, in Nassau. Near Giessen, Hesse- 

 Darmstadt. Villa Rica, Brazil. Washingtoa 

 Mine, Davidson co., North Carolina, U. S. 



Na7ne. Atter Dr. Wavell, by whom it was 

 discovered at Barnstaple, 



See also Pvroeleotric Wavellite. 



Brit, Mus., Case 57. 



M.P. G. Principal Floor, Nos, 1122 to 

 1124. 



Wax Opal. An inferior kind of Com- 

 mon Opal. 



Waxen Vein. A name formerly given 

 to septaria, from the resemblance of the spar 

 of some of the veins or septa to the yellowish 

 colour of melted wax. 



Websterite, Levy, Dufrenoy, Dana. 

 Occurs in reniform masses and botryoidal 

 concretions. Colour white or yellowish- 

 white. Opaque, occasionally translucent. 

 Lustre dull. Yields to the nail. Meagre to 

 the touch. Adheres to the tongue. Fracture 

 earthy. Possesses considerable hardness, 

 and is susceptible of a fine polish. H. 1 to 2. 

 S.G 1-66. 



Comp. Subsulphate of alumina, or AIS + 



9H = alumina 29-8, sulphuric acid 23-2, water 

 47-0-100. 



Analysis, from Newhaven, by Stromeyer . 

 Alumina .... 29-87 

 Sulphuric acid . . . 23-37 

 Water 46-76 



100-00 



BB parts with all its acid at a red heat, 

 and fuses with difiiculty. 



Dissolves in muriatic acid, without eflfer- 

 vescence. 



Localities. — English. Newhaven, in Sus- 

 sex, imbedded in a layer of ochreous clay, 

 midwa}' between the summit of the cliffs 

 and the sea-shore; but specimens may gen- 

 erally be picked up amongst the fallen 

 masses of the cliffs, which lie scattered oa 

 the shore from half a mile to a mile west- 

 ward of Newhaven Harbour, It occurs in 

 veins and in tabular and tuberose masses, 

 the former frequently seA'-eral feet in length, 

 and the latter exceeding 3 lbs. or 4 lbs. iu 

 weight. It also forms veins and tabular 

 layers, in potholes, in the railway cutting 

 through the chalk, between Brighton and 

 Hove Station ; with peroxide of iron, — 

 Foreign. Hill of Bernon, near Epernay, 

 and the environs of Lunel-Vieil, and Au- 



