214 DESCRIPTIONS OF MINERALS. 



among the largest yet discovered in any part of the world ; 

 one from Robinson's farm measured a foot in length and 

 weighed IS pounds: but they are nearly opaque and the 

 edges are usually rounded. They occur with scapolite, 

 sphene, etc. Edenville and Amity. Orange County. X. Y., 

 afford fine crystals from half an inch to twelve inches 

 long. At Westmoreland. X. H., fine crystals are obtained 

 in a vein of feldspar and quartz ; also at Blue Hill Bay 

 in Maine. Bolton. Chesterfield. Chester. Mass., are other 

 localities. A beautiful blue variety is obtained at Dixon's 

 quarry. Wilmington, Delaware. Abundant in Burgess, 

 Elmsley, Grand Calumet Id., Hull. Buckingham, Port- 

 land, etc., in Canada. 



The name apatite, from the Greek apatao, to deceive, was 

 given in allusion to the mistake of early mineralogists re- 

 specting the nature of some of its varieties. 



Apatite, when abundant, is used like guano as a fertilizer, 

 on account of its phosphoric acid. To make it capable of 

 being taken up by plants it is treated first with a small por- 

 tion of sulphuric acid, which renders the phosphoric acid 

 soluble. When guano has been accumulated by birds, or 

 other animals, over coral rock, a calcium carbonate (as on 

 some coral islands), the waters in filtrating through it have 

 often carried down the soluble phosphoric acid or phosphates 

 into the underlying beds and turned them into calcium 

 phosphate. 



Brusldte and MetabruskUe. Hydrous calcium phosphates, found in 

 guano. 



PyrophospJiorite. A white earthy phosphate from a guano deposit, 

 in the West Indies. Analysis gave it the composition of a pyrophos- 

 phate. 



Pharmacolite and Haidinf/erite are hydrous calcium arsenates. 



A Urocaldte. Hydrous calcium nitrate. From caverns. 



Pyroclrfore. Occurs in small brown and brownish-yellow isometric 

 octahedrons. A calcium-cerium columbate. G, =4*3-4'5. From Nor- 

 way, Siberia. 



Mkrolite. In crystals similar in form to those of pyrochlore, but 

 in composition a calcium tantalate. G. =o*o-6. From Chesterfield, 

 Mass., and Redding, Conn. Hatchettolite is a lime-uranium colum- 

 bate. from Xorth Carolina. 



Disanalyte. In cubes in granular limestone, a columbate and titan- 

 ate of calcium, cerium and iron. From the Kaiserstuhl. 



Romeite and Atopite are calcium antimonates, the latter containing 

 also iron and soda. 



