398 Scientific Intelligence. 



The analysis is essentially that of a normal vesuvianite, though 

 the percentage of water is unusually high ; the lime and the iron 

 are below the average ; the titanium and phosphorus are excep- 

 tional occurrences. 



The mineral is compact, of remarkable toughness, and readily 

 admits of a fine polish, quite as high and beautiful as that of 

 nephrite (jade), with which it was at first confounded. It is sub- 

 translucent to faintly translucent, with very weak double refrac- 

 tion. The hardness is 6*5, and the specific gravity (from two 

 determinations) 3-286. The luster is vitreous, often inclining 

 to resinous, and the streak white. The color is a yellow leek-green, 

 with inclusions of a darker green, generally more translucent than 

 the surrounding mass. 



This interesting mineral exists in large quantity, and could be 

 cut into a variety of ornaments, in the same way as jade, nephrite 

 and chrysoprase. It is a form of vesuvianite distinctive enough 

 to warrant giving it a special variety name, — which, if appro- 

 priate and euphonious,, would undoubtedly aid the sale of the 

 stone in the arts. I therefore propose the name " Calif or nite''' for 

 this massive, translucent mineral, — which occurs in quite a range of 

 colors, from almost white to pale green, leek-green, even dark 

 grass-green shades. 



What appears to be the same mineral has recently been an- 

 nounced from two other localities quite remote from the first. 

 One of these was reported by that indefatigable prospector, Mr. 

 M. Braverman, of Visalia, as existing in Burro valley, in Fresno 

 County, a mile and a half from Hawkins school house, and 32 

 east of Fresno city. The material is pale olive-green, translucent, 

 with darker spots in a paler mass. It breaks with an uneven frac- 

 ture, slightly splintery and partly crystalline, and hence much 

 resembles the Siskiyou County material. 



The other locality is apparently not very distant from the last 

 mentioned ; it is said to be in Tulare County, near the town of 

 Selma, which though in Fresno County, is not far from the Tulare 

 line. Here the mineral is of even a richer color, at times resem- 

 bling the tint of apple-green chrysoprase for which it was at first 

 mistaken. 



6. Native Bismuth and JBismite from Pala, California ; by 

 George F. Kunz. (Communicated.) — The remarkable locality at 

 Pala, San Diego Co., California, noted for its colored tourma- 

 lines and other lithia minerals, has now been found to yield also 

 native bismuth in considerable abundance, and likewise the oxide, 

 bismite. Specimens have lately been received by me through the 

 courtesy of Mr. W. H. Crane, of the American Lithia Co., of 

 New York. Overlying the great mass of amblygonite at the 

 lepidolite mine (described in this Journal for September, 1903) is 

 a heavy capping of coarse granite, throughout which both 

 metallic bismuth and bismite are present in more or less profusion. 

 The latter appears as a coating of an orange-yellow to grey color, 

 permeating the quartz and associated minerals, and between the 



