N E E EE E T E E EA 
eee oe E ES 
1884.] Mineralogy. 65 
A NEW MINERAL.—Under the name of richellite MM. Cesaro 
and Despret! have described a supposed new mineral from Richelle, 
near Visé, Belgium. It is regarded as a hydrous fluo-phosphate of 
iron and calcium, and is a compact, soft, earthy substance of pale 
yellowish color and greasy luster, having a hardness of 2-3 and 
specific gravity 2. The composition is 
PO, Fen Al,O, CaO H,O 
28.67 28.71 1.80 5.64 35-54 
Of the water, 23.33 per cent is driven off at 100°. Further 
examination is needed to show that the mineral is homogeneous 
and a good species. 
GEMS FROM THE HIMALAYA MOUNTAINS.—Professor C. U. Shep- 
ard? has called attention to the discovery of a remarkable locality 
for sapphire and ruby in the Himalaya mountains. The crystals ’ 
occur with other varieties of corundum in a schistose or slaty 
rock, and are associated with chlorite. The gems, which are 
limpid and finely colored, are also finely crystallized. The local- 
ity was discovered accidentally, but is now guarded by govern- 
ment troops. Professor Shepard believes that the resemblances 
between the mode of occurrence of these Indian gems and those 
found in North and South Carolina are “ sufficiently important to 
encourage the expectation that valuablé corundum gems may yet 
be found in the United States.” 
Professor Shepard is apparently not aware that a much more 
full account of this discovery of gems in India was published more 
than a year ago, by Professor F. R. Mallet, in a paper entitled 
“On Sapphires recently discovered in the northwest Himalaya.” ’ 
It is there stated that the correct locality is Padam, east of the 
village of Machel, Zanskar district, territory of Kashmir. The 
: ems were exposed by a landslide, and occur far up on the moun- 
tain at the limit of perpetual snow. Some of the sapphires dis- 
covered were a foot in length. A physical and crystallographic 
description of the crystals is given. In the center ofa hexagonal 
Prism of sapphire, a cavity was found, in which were two crystals 
of tourmaline. Frequently the specimens are coated with a thin 
white mineral resembling gibbsite. 
The crystals are bluish white and translucent, with transparent. 
fine blue portions irregularly mixed. These blue portions o 
Course constitute the only valuable parts of the crystals, and are 
Carefully cut out by the lapidaries. 
Descroizire FROM Mexico.—S. L. Penfield? has analyzed a 
vanadium mineral from near Zacatecas, Mexico, which, while 
having the physical properties of the mineral recently described 
1 : « 
i Pel Soc. Belg., Mem. x, 1883. 
E dok Sc., Nov., 1883. Ji 
Farge Geolog. Surv. of India, Vol. xv, Part 2, p. 138. ‘ 
mer. Jour, Se., Nov., 1833. : 
, YOR zvin, —no. 1, 5 
