120 On a New Mineral found in the Island of Cyprus. [Dec. 8,. 



western direction, 38 miles N.W.W. in a straight line from the city 

 of Limassol, 4 miles from the nearest point of the shores of Chrysohu 

 Bay. The mineral is fonnd there in enormons quantities, it covers 

 the sides of the top of a hill about 150 meters over the lowest part of 

 the valley beneath. One side of the hill is covered with the pure mineral, 

 partly in a crumbled state, partly as solid rock. On some places are 

 found compact prominent rocks of the pure mineral from 1 to 2 meters 

 height. The locality is destitute of any vegetation. The mineral is 

 soft and chalk-like ; in a compact state it has a yellowish colour, in a 

 powdered state an intense sulphur-like colour. The principal part of 

 the mineral is composed of pure basic sulphate of oxide of iron,, 

 making 73 per cent. 



The striking yellow coloration of the slope attracted my attention, 

 and I thought at first sight that I had before me a large layer of a 

 pure sort of common yellow ochre. In ravines intersecting the slope 

 and running down to the valley, especially on the lower parts, I 

 observed the slopes covered all over with whitish and yellowish crusts 

 of salt from 1 to 2 inches thick. These crusts sometimes cover the 

 soil in the ground of the valley and excavations in the slope with 

 whitish efflorescences, 30 to 50 meters below the yellow deposit. The 

 substance must be partly soluble, it has a peculiar taste, giving the 

 taste of sulphate of protoxide. On all those spots which are covered 

 with the crusts of this salt there grows no vegetation of herbs, only 

 shrubs cover the soil. During the dry season, lasting in this part of 

 the island from June to August, the amount of salt, crystallizing and 

 developed from the surface of the slopes, must constantly be in- 

 creasing. The upper parts of the soil more and more drying up are- 

 filled up in the dry season with the efflorescence of salt, which is pre- 

 viously in a dissolved state below the surface of the soil. This 

 efflorescent salt in the lower parts of the ravines proves to be derived 

 from the higher parts of the yellow deposit itself. 



Through the influence of the rain water in the wet season (October 

 to December) quantities of the mineral being dissolved and carried 

 down, quantities of the solution are sucked in from the soil ; later in 

 the dry season the salt makes efflorescences on the surface if the soil 

 is drying up. The process of efflorescence of salt in the dry season 

 and carrying away in the wet season is repeated from year to year. 

 The salt seems to me to be a neutral combination, and is in small 

 amount soluble in water. 



The mineral contains 1*7 per cent, hygroscopic water, and in the 

 substance soluble in hydrochloric acid a very small amount of sul- 

 phate of alumina. The hardness is nearly 2, equal gypsum, specific 

 gravity 17. 



Heated to redness the mineral* turns from yellow to dark -brown 

 # I assign to this mineral the name of the island, and to the many names of 



