98 



C. U. Shepard on New Mineral Species. 



On being heated in powder in a porcelain crucible, over a spirit 

 lamp, it turns gray for a moment, emits a faint smell of organic 

 matter, but none of ammonia,* and loses 10 p. c. in weight. 



It consists of not far from 80 p. c. of phosphate of lime, and 10 

 p. c. of water ; while the remainder is made up of a little insoluble 

 matter, carbonate of lime, sulphate of lime, sulphate of soda, and 

 traces of chlorid of sodium and fluorine. 



The trap rock is often found intermingled with the mineral in 

 fragments many inches in diameter. It has the characteristic 

 fracture and color of this rock ; but when examined more nearly, 

 it is found to contain but little feldspar, being almost wholly 

 composed of a dark green pyroxenic mineral, nearly allied to 

 bronzite or schiller spar. The phosphate is completely fused 

 where in contact with the trap ; and occasionally the mixture be- 

 tween the two, is that of a brecciated mass. 



The name of the species has allusion to its property of flying 

 to pieces, when heated. 



4. Glaubapatite. 



Crystals small, tabular, in druses, forming botryoidal and stalac- 

 titic masses : columnar, fibres somewhat flattened and radiating 

 from the centre of little oval masses and stalactites. Color, pale 

 yellowish or greenish brown. Translucent. H.=3-5. Gr.=2-6. 

 Also massive, with a conchoidal fracture and of a dark chocolate 

 brown eolor, to nearly black. Brittle. 



When heated in a glass tube, gives water, at the same time 

 turning brown and evolving a slight organic odor. Before the 

 blowpipe it does not decrepitate, but turns brown on the first im- 

 pression of the heat, and quickly fuses with ebullition, coloring 

 the flame yellow, with a very distinct tinge of green around the 

 heated mass. It finally yields a semi-transparent glass. With 

 borax, melts into a colorless glass. When powdered, the mineral 

 dissolves without effervescence, in hydrochloric and in nitric acid, 

 affording solutions of a porter-brown color, from which ammonia 

 throws down the same precipitate as in pyroclasite. Analysis 

 gave the following result : 



Phosphate of lime, - 74-00 

 Sulphate of soda, - - - - - 15*10 



Water, 1030 



With traces of organic matter ; sulphate of 



lime and chlorid of sodium. 



99.40 



It occurs abundantly in irregular corroded, drusy shaped masses, 

 (but very rarely crystalline) often coated on one side with pyro- 

 clasite ; and sometimes, the two species are intimately blended 

 together. It is named out of regard to its relationship to apatite 

 and to glauber's salt. 



* Even when heated with caustic potash or lime. 



