Monthly Microscopican 
Juunial, June 1, 1S69. J 
Blow-pipe Beads. 
351 
Zircon or zirconia fused with borax yields crystals of tiie borate. 
In their most rudimentary state they are small prisms with a 
simple cross at each end, which afterwards becomes complicated like 
Fig. 2. 
The crystals of molybdate of zirconia (Fig. 3), formed by fusing 
zirconia in borax with molybdic acid, are extremely elegant and 
beautiful objects. They are so delicate that their own weight 
would probably break them, if they were in an aqueous solution ; 
but being supported in solid borax, like the insects enclosed in 
amber, they are secure from all injury. 
Scheelite — native tungstate of lime — fused in borax is deposited 
in crystals of great beauty, and is an object easily prepared. Fig. 4 
is a case where the axis of the crystal is in the line of vision. In 
the opposite direction the arms of the cross are unequal. 
The molybdate of strontia, produced by fusing strontia and 
molybdic acid in borax, crystalHzes in long spindle shaped crystals 
like Fig. 5 ; whereas the molybdate of lime yields very different 
crystals, of a form intermediate between Figs. 3 and 4. 
Apatite — native phosphate of lime — fused with borax, deposits 
in crystals which vary much in shape. Six-sided stars are often 
formed on the surface, and needle-shaped crystals grow from 
their centres into the interior of the borax, so that they look like 
nails with highly ornamented heads (Fig. 6) driven down into 
the bead. When formed with their axis parallel to the surface, 
the crystals are sometimes much like diatomacese, as shown by 
Fig. 7. The addition of phosphate of soda to a borax bead con- 
taining lime in almost any state of combination gives rise to similar 
crystals. 
On adding a certain amount of carbonate of soda to quartz or 
various sihcates dissolved in borax, crystals are deposited, which 
vary much according to circumstances ; but they all seem to be due 
to the variable growth of many small six-sided prisms with expanded 
ends. Fig. 8 shows a curious dice-box form, resulting from a 
bundle of such crystals. Probably they are some silicate of soda, 
modified by the presence of other bases. 
Columbic acid is deposited from borax in crystals which often 
have a form similar to Fig. 9 ; whereas titanic acid gives hair-like 
prisms variously grouped, as shown by Fig. 10. Molybdic acid is 
sometimes set free as liquid globules, which coalesce, rise to the 
surface, and afterwards solidify as small spheres. 
These few examples will at all events serve to show that the 
crystals deposited in blow-pipe beads are of considerable interest, 
merely as beautiful microscopical objects. I should, however, be 
very sorry if any one were to imagine that I considered this their 
chief merit. On another occasion my aim will be to prove that 
