7$ General Notes. [January, 



lime by heating calcium nitrate. Recently Levalois and Meunier 1 

 have observed in the inner walls of a lime- kiln cubes of lime 5 

 centimeters in diameter. The crystals were sharp on the edges, 

 and had the specific gravity of 3.3. Analysis showed that the 

 crystals were composed of nearly pure anhydrous lime. They 

 dissolved slowly in cold, but energetically in warm acids, giving 

 out considerable heat. The crystals were formed upon the lime- 

 stone walls of the kiln, which, with the exception of a few days, 

 had been kept at a temperature of I200°-I300° C. for over two 



Nitrobarite. — Groth 2 describes a natural nitrate of Baryta 

 from Chili. It occurs as small colorless octahedral crystals, with 

 tetartohedral characters, belonging to the isometric system. Ar- 

 tificial crystals of nitrate of Baryta have a similar form. An ap- 

 propriate mineralogical name for this mineral would be Nitto- 



Vanadium Minerals. — Within the last few years special atten- 

 tion has been directed to the natural occurrence of Vanadium 

 and its compounds. It has been shown that Vanadium, formerly 

 regarded as one of the rarest elements, is of widespread diffusion, 

 and that it almost universally accompanies Titanium in the older 

 geological formations. This fact acquires a cosmical importance 

 when taken in connection with the observation of Lockyer that 

 Vanadium exists with Titanium in the innermost portions of the 

 photosphere of the sun. 



Among recent investigations upon Vanadium minerals, those of 

 Rammelsberg 3 are of great importance. He gives several new 

 analyses, and after reviewing the Vanadium minerals, gives the 

 following table of the natural vanadates : 



date Dechenite Pb V 2 O 8 



■ 



Websky 4 and Urba* h the crystalline forms of 



Descloizite and Vanadinite. Websky describes pseudomorphs of 

 Vanadinite after Anglesite. 







« V* < r 





(Pb, Zn) 3 







e Pb CI 2 +"3 Pbs 





Bi2 y 0» 







' 



* Y- t Y> 













V*()' 







y. i 'i x 



1 Compt. Rend., 90, 1566, June, 1880. 

 * Zeits. f. Kryst., 1S81. vi, 195. 



J80, p. 652. 

 *Monatsb d. k. Ak \\ ~ V .July, ihSo, p. 672. Oct., 



