266 Kum—New Lilac-Colored Transparent Spoduviene. 



recognized until sent to the writer in New York, liaving been 

 pronounced tourmaline by parties to whom it was sTiown ; 

 and many crystals were ruined by lapidaries in the unsuc- 

 cessful attempts to cut them, as the very highly facile cleavage 

 of spodumene causes it to flake. 



The crystals obtained were quite numerous, and vary from 

 half an inch or less to two inches in length, by an inch in 

 breadth. Some are elegant specimens and some could be cut 

 into gems. The hardness is about 7. They are perfectly trans- 

 parent and remarkably free from flaws, and possess the spodu- 

 mene pleochroism very markedly. Looked at transversely, 

 they are nearly colorless, or faintly pink ; but longitudinally 

 they present a rich pale lavender color, almost amethystine. 

 The characteristic etching is also well developed, especially on 

 the pyramidal faces ; but all of the crystals are dull upon the 

 surface and are etched all over as if with a solvent. 



Two crystals, the largest and another one, give the follow- 

 ing measurements : 



a, 53°^°^ (2^ in.) and 35°^°^ (If in.) 



b, 37™"^ (\\ in.) and 27™°^ (lyV i"-) 



c, 11™"^ (y'V in.) and 15"'^ ( \\ in.) 



The specific gravity determined on three crystals was found 

 to be 3-183.* 



Grams. Specific 



Color. Weight. Gravity. 



Spodumene: Lavender _.. 20*393 3-l'79 



Yellow-white __. 8-359 3-185 



Lavender ._ ...10'8'72 3-1 87 



The crystals are so etched and corroded that the terminals 

 are entirely gone, therefore it is not possible to do very much 

 with them in the crystallograjDhic line. The rounded pro- 

 tuberances and crystal lographic points left by the etching are 

 interesting, but it would be exceedingly difficult to make much 

 out of them or to illustrate them. Professor S. L. Penfield 

 kindly measured the prismatic angle on two crystals and 

 reported as follows: "The prism faces were well developed 

 and gave good reflections. The prismatic angle m /^ m\ 

 110/^110, on two crystals was found to be 86° 45^, from which 

 m^m''\ 110xvll0=93° 15^ 



" For comparison, measurements were made of the cleavage 

 angle of spodumene from Branchville,f m/\m''' = 93° 13^; also 

 of the prismatic faces of hiddenite from North Carolina,:): 



* As this is an entirely new gem of peculiar beauty, a name will be given 

 to it shortly. 



t Brush and Dana : This Journal (3), xx, 257, 1880. 

 j:E. S. Dana : This Journal (3), xxi, 179, 1881. 



