28 
[Assembly 
I have thus noticed the principal localities of the magnetic oxide 
of iron in this State; and have traced the deposites of this ore with 
some interruption from the extreme southern part in a northern di- 
rection nearly to the northern frontier, and thence westwardly 
upwards of one hundred miles. Throughout this whole extent, the 
ore is tolerably uniform in its character, and differs in value chiefly 
in consequence of the proportions of foreign matter with which it 
is mixed. The deposites generally have a northern and southern 
direction, and are parallel with, and never at right angles to, the 
strata of the rocks in which they occur. They are probably cotem- 
poraneous with the rocks in which they exist, and may have been 
separated by chemical affinity during the process of consolidation, 
as suggested by Mr. Bakewoll, or by galvanic agency, according 
to the views entertained by Mr. Fox.* 
Specular Iron Ore. — Under this name are now included many 
varieties which pass into each other by almost imperceptible shades, 
so that it is difficult to draw the line of specific distinction between 
them. Common specular iron has a metallic appearance, is of a 
steel grey or iron black color, and frequently occurs in the form 
of crystals. The micaceous variety, has a lamellar structure, and 
usually consists of small scales with a metallic lustre, and which 
when held between the eye and light exhibit a blood red color. 
Both these varieties when reduced to powder have the red color of 
peroxide of iron, and they seldom have any action on the magnet. 
When this species has lost its metallic appearance it is known 
by the name of red iron stone, which includes red hematite found in 
masses, stalactites, kidney-form balls, &c., and having a brownish 
red color and fibrous structure, — the compact and ochrey red iron 
ores, which are massive and have a compact texture, — iron froth, 
which is composed of scaly friable parts, which soil strongly and 
have a color between cherry and brownish red. To these may be 
added the red lenticular iron ore and the several varieties of clay 
iron ore. 
Specular iron ore in a state of the greatest purity is a perox- 
ide of iron, and is composed of 69.34 metallic iron, and of 30.60 
oxygen in 100 parts. It seldom occurs in nature in this form^ but 
is generally mixed with other minerals, as silica, alumina, lime, 
* See Bakewell's Geology, and a paper on the Electro-Magnetic properties of veins, by 
Kobert W. Fox, in the Philosophical Transactions for 1830. 
