regarding the sulphur as combined with the iron and part of the 

 manganese, the total percentage would be reduced by 2.25 per 



A new Manganese Mineral. — Mr. M. W. lies has examined 

 an efflorescence which occurs upon an ore vein in Park county, 

 Colorado. The efflorescence is of a pure white color, is very 

 soft, has a specific gravity of 2.16, and occurs in friable crystal- 



isses. It is soluble in wat 



er. and has a bitter, 



The aqueous solution has ; 



in acid reaction, ind 



:ure of free sulphuric acid. 



The following me 



vas obtained : 





The mineral appears to be a hydrous sulphate of manganese, 

 containing perhaps admixtures of sulphatite, melanterite and 

 goslarite. It should have further examination. 



Galena with Octahedral Cleavage. — About twenty years 

 ago, Dr. John Torrey noticed at the Pequea mine, Lancaster 

 county, Penna., a remarkable variety of galena, which had an 

 eminent octahedral cleavage. The usual cubical cleavage was 

 very indistinct, but was made more prominent after heating. He 

 supposed the galena either to be pseudomorphous after fluorite or 

 to be a dimorphous variety. Dr. Cooke, however, show'ed that 

 by pressure, traces of an octahedral cleavage may be developed in 

 galena from many localities, and Dr. Genth holds that such cleav- 

 age may be a natural result of octahedral crystallization. 



A few months ago a similar variety of galena was found near 

 Mont Blanc, Switzerland. A large crystal formed of two cubo- 

 octahedrons united by an octahedral face was found to give per- 

 fect and brilliant octahedral cleavage faces when struck by a 

 hammer. The cleavage faces had a slightly undulating surface. 

 The specific gravity of the crystal was 7.67. No alteration in 

 cleavage was produced by heating. 



The Condition of Sulphur in Coal.— Dr. W. Wallace 1 

 has made some analyses of coal, which lead him to the conclu- 

 sion that the sulphur found in coal, usually regarded as due to 

 pyrite, exists frequently as an organic compound. He finds the 

 amount of sulphur in many coals to be greatly in excess of the 

 amount necessary to form bisulphide with the iron which is 



At the recent meeting of the Amer. Inst, of Mining Engineers, 

 Dr. fhos. M. Drown, probably not aware of these researches, con- 

 tributed an interesting series of analyses of coals, which lead to 

 x Proc. Phil. Soc. Glasgow, 1879-80, p. 223. 



