Mineralogy. 185 



Corlaria, which forms trees in the southern valleys, and which entirely 

 justifies the inference we formerly drew from the presence of Pistacia 

 Terebinthus, a tender tree common in the South Crimea, where it forms 

 a trunk as thick as a man's body. We have lately beard the accuracy of 

 our statement about the Caper plant questioned, and doubts expressed as 

 to whether it really grows in the Crimea at all. We, therefore, beg to 

 quote the words of our auththority as to " Perfrequensin is sterilibus 

 subsalsis Tauriae, ad pontum Euxinum, et in planitiebus caspico-caucasi- 

 cis. Colliguntur Capparides ab incolis oppidi Kisljar et per omnem Ros- 

 siam divenduntur." (Bieb. Fl. Taur. Cane, II., 2.) This is said of the 

 sharp-leaved variety of Capparis sp>inosa, called ovata. Pallas also 

 mentions the Caper bush, and says it is called Shaitan-Karbus. 



Pallas enumerates as many as 24 distinct varieties of grapes cultivated 

 either for wine or the table. Some of these are no doubt European va- 

 rieties introduced, others are not recognisable as such. None of them 

 appear to be of importance enough to deserve cultivation in this country. 

 Far otherwise is it with the apples of the Crimea, of which we hope that 

 some of our officers will be able to secure cuttings when the fatigues of 

 their campaign shall be over. Pallas speaks of one called Smap-Alma, 

 which keeps till July, and only acquires its excellence before the new year. 

 Of this we are told that waggon loads are annually sent to Moscow and 

 even to St Petersburgh. There is also an autumn apple, which a friend, 

 who was on the south coast in 1847 or 1848, thought by far the best he 

 had ever tasted in any country. 



We must not omit, in taking our farewell of the Crimean climate, to 

 mention the existence of a cobnut of extraordinary size, for a few speci- 

 mens of which we are indebted to Captain George Elliot, R.N., of H.M. 

 ship Arethusa, who obtained them at Eupatoria. Pallas calls them Tre- 

 bizond-Funduk, describes them as " short obtuse nuts of uncommon size," 

 and says that they are the produce of Corylus Colurna. What we have 

 received are larger than any that we have before seen. 



MINERALOGY. 



Artificial Production of Silicates and Aluminates. By M. Daubree. 

 -—By bringing chloride of silicium and other volatile chlorides in contact 

 with lime and other bases at a red heat, decomposition occurs, and silicic 

 acid is produced and is deposited in crystals, either alone or in combination 

 with the bases present. By means of lime, magnesia, alumina or glucina, 

 and chloride of silicium, crystallized quartz is obtained in its usual form, 

 and part of the base is converted into a silicate. With lime Wollastonite 

 (table spar) is obtained in rhombic tables, with two faces replacing the 

 obtuse angles, exactly as in the natural crystals. These tables are fre- 

 quently united in the form of a cross, like the crystals of staurolite. By 

 means of magnesia peridote is obtained, in rectangular prisms. Alumina 

 gives a silicate in long prisms with an oblique base, which is not attacked 

 by acids, is infusible, and has all the properties of kyanite. It is interest- 

 ing to observe that in this reaction chloride of aluminium is produced at 

 the cost of the silicium. 



In order to produce a double silicate, it is not enough to mix with two 

 bases in the requisite quantity, but there must be an excess of one of them 

 in order to supply the requisite amount of oxygen to the silicon. In this 

 way a mixture of lime and magnesia yields colourless and transparent 

 crystals of augite (diopside). By a mixture of seven equivalents of potash 

 or soda, and one of alumina, or one of alkali, one of alumina and six of 

 lime, crystals of the form and characters of felspar are obtained. By using 

 different bases, and modifying their proportions, crystallized Willemite 



VOL. I. NO. I.— JAN. 1855. N 



