Minerals in Mica Slate. 343 



The phosphate of lime has been noticed in Willliamsburgh, Ches- 

 terfield, Chester, Middlefield, Norwich, Hinsdale, &c. That in Wil- 

 liamsburg is in hexagonal delicately green crystals, and is doubtless 

 apatite. That in Chesterfield is associated with sappare ; as may be 

 seen on No. 750, and almost exactly resembles the chrysoberyl of 

 Haddam ; but the ease with which it is impressed by steel, shows its 

 nature at once. In Norwich this mineral occurs in a gray quartz and 

 black mica, and in the vicinity of granite. One of the imperfect 

 crystals which I found, (of which No. 728 is a part,) was three inches 

 in diameter and six inches long. 



Quite recently, in Westmoreland New Hampshire, a very interest- 

 ing locality of crystalized phosphate of lime — in 6 and 12 sided 

 prisms — with limpid and purple foliated fluate of lime and fine sul- 

 phuret of molybdenum, has been discovered in the mica slate, which is a 

 continuation of that range exhibited on the map on Connecticut river 

 in Northfield, &c. I have not however, visited the spot ; but have 

 seen the specimens. I believe the fluate of lime does not occur in the 

 same spot as the other minerals. (No. 729) 



Fluate of lime exists in small quantity in the mica slate in Conway ; 

 and a green variety was found a few years since in the same rock in 

 Putney, Vt. 



Almost every variety of quartz described in the books, occurs in 

 our mica slate. It is haroly necessary to mention crystallized quartz, 

 which is found almost every where, and in nearly every rock. The 

 white hyaline quartz, passing into white milky quartz, exists in large 

 beds, or tuberculous masses, in almost every part of the mica slate. It 

 is an interesting fact, that a large proportion of this quartz is fetid in 

 the Hoosac mountain range. I have observed this variety on that 

 range from the south part of Connecticut, to the south part of Ver- 

 mont, over an interval of more than 1 00 miles. Sometimes this hya- 

 line quartz — as in Shelburne and Colraine — is tinged of a blood red 

 colour, and sometimes of wine yellow, by iron. As the mica slate 

 approaches to clay slate, the quartz becomes bluish and greasy in its 

 fracture. Sometimes also it is pavonine or irised, as in Fitchburg, 

 Leyden, &c. It is found, also, of a rose red colour, in Williamsburg, 

 Chesterfield, Blanford, and Chelmsford. I am not certain that at the 

 two latter places mica slate is its gangue, because I found it only in 

 bowlders : yet I have little doubt that such is the fact. That in Blan- 

 ford appears to be the finest ; and probably if some pains and expense 

 were devoted to getting it out, rich specimens might be procured. 



