SILVER. 117 



various silver mines. It is also found mixed with native 

 copper. 



The mines of Norway, at Kongsberg, formerly afforded mag- 

 nificent specimens of native silver, but they are now mostly 

 under water. One specimen from this locality, at Copenha- 

 gen, weighs five hundred pounds; and two other masses 

 have been found weighing 238 and 436 pounds. Other Eu- 

 ropean localities are in Saxony, Bohemia, the Hartz, Hun- 

 gary, Dauphiny. Peru and Mexico also alford native silver. 

 A Mexican specimen from Batopilas, weighed when obtained 

 400 pounds ; and one from Southern Peru (mines of Huan- 

 tajaya) weighed over 8 cwt. Arizona is reported to have 

 produced one mass weighing 2,700 pounds. In the United 

 States, in the Lake Superior region, the silver generally pen- 

 etrates the copper in masses and strings, and is very nearly 

 pure, notwithstanding the copper about it. Large masses 

 occur at the Idaho Silver Mine, called the Poor Man's Lode ; 

 and in strings it is occasionally found in the mines of Ne- 

 vada, California, and Colorado. 



Much of the galena of the world contains a very small per- 

 centage of silver; that of Monroe, Conn., yields nearly 3 

 per cent. 



Native silver has also been observed near the Sing Sing 

 state prison ; at the Bridgewater copper mines, N. J. ; and 

 in handsome specimens at King's Mine, Davidson County, 

 North Carolina. 



Native Amalgam is a compound of silver and mercury. The com- 

 pounds AgHg = Silver 35*1, mercury 64*9, or Ag 2 H 3 = Silver 26*5, 

 mercury 73 o, are included. Another from Chili having the formula 

 Ag 12 Hgand containing 8J # 6 per cent, of silver has been called Ar- 

 querite ; and still another Ag lh Hg, Kongsbergite. 



Argentite. — Silver Glance. Sulphuret of Silver. 



Isometric. In dodecahedrons more or less modified. 

 Cleavage sometimes apparent parallel to the faces of the 

 dodecahedron. Also reticulated and massive. 



Lustre metallic. Color and streak blackish lead-gray ; 

 streak shining. Very sectile. H. = 2-2*5. G. = 7*19- 

 7-4. 



Composition. When pure, Ag 2 S = Sulphur 12-9, silver 

 87*1. B.B. on charcoal in O.F. it intumesces, gives off the 

 odor of sulphur, and finally affords a globule of silver. 



Biff. Resembles some ores of copper and lead, and other 



