PROFESSOR HEDDLE ON THE MINERALOGY OF SCOTLAND. 503 
A sbestus. 
From Granular Limestone. 
2. This was sent me from Shinness in Sutherland, by Dr Joass of Golspie. 
Asbestus was found in such quantities in Corsica that DoLomrievu packed his 
minerals with it. I suppose that, at one time, some such abundance must have | 
prevailed at Shinness, for in a box of specimens sent to me by Dr Joass a 
quantity of this substance lay loose at the bottom, and also separated the 
specimens from each other. I likewise obtained from the same gentleman 
long hatchet-shaped masses of closely packed parallel fibres of a pale-green 
colour, with occasional imbedded crystals of sahlite (‘). 
The asbestus was hard, rigid, and rough, pneu very similar in appearance 
to the amianthus from Balta. 
1-3 grammes yielded— 
Silteaie: Ue 2738 
From Alumina, . * 006 
“709 = 56: 864 
Mommas fey "239 
Ferric Oxide, . ; ‘ "484 
- Ferrous Oxide, . 5 a a? AL 
Manganous Oxide, . : "23 
Lime, , ; : | SI aia) 
Maenesia, . hae . 23°923 
Potash, 6s): ; ‘ *439 
Soden it oat > feng, 238 
Water, . : ; E25 
| Insoluble silica, 3-924 per cent.; was pure. 
From Serpentine. 
3. From the serpentine of Portsoy. 
Much asbestus is said, or is imagined to have been obtained hereabout; and 
a couple of small quarry-holes have been pointed out to me as the spots whence 
it was obtained. The only place where I have myself procured it was at the 
west side of the foot of the terminal bluff or cliff of the most easterly of the 
two beds of serpentine. Here it occurs in veins of an inch in width, in a dense 
grey rock, which appears to be gabbro passing into serpentine. The fibres of 
_ the asbestus here lie transversely to the course of the veins in which they 
occur; this is very unusual as regards asbestus. The colour was a pale 
greenish-grey, the lustre somewhat silky ; it was unctuous to the touch, tending 
toamianthus. Specific gravity, 2° 986. 
