102 
POPULAK SCIENCE EEYIEW. 
MINERALOGY, METALLURGY, AND MINING. 
The Working of Hcematite Ores. — Among the many papers at the late 
meeting of the British Association at Edinburgh, was one by Mr. Thomas 
Ainsworth, on “The Facts developed by the Working of Haematite Ores 
in the Ulverstone and Whitehaven Districts, from 1844-71.” He referred 
first to some correspondence that had taken place between the British As- 
sociation and the Government on the subject of the investigation of the 
haematite ore-fields. As this had resulted in the investigations being 
abandoned on the part of the Government Geological Survey, he thought 
it Avas the duty of every one who knew anything on the subject to make it 
public, seeing that when the Bessemer royalty expired — which would shortly 
be the case — this haematite would become much more valuable than it was 
at present. He quite agreed with all that had been done hitherto in this 
matter, and the facts he was now to present had come under his notice 
during the last thirty years while residing in Cumberland, near the Ulver- 
stone and Whitehaven districts. Contrary to what had been generally 
supposed, he had found the haematite ore did not confine itself to the neigh- 
bourhood of limestone rock, but was to be found in many kinds of rock, and 
even between two different kinds of rock. He had also found that the 
haematite had some relation to the coal-fields, and was always found in close 
proximity to these. A peculiarity of the haematite ore-fields was that they 
seemed to run almost exactly from north-west to south-east. Another fact 
he had discovered was, that carbonic acid was to be found only in very 
small quantities in haematite, while it was found in large quantities in other 
ironstone. He was aware that haematite was to be found also at Hadding- 
ton and Bristol. The paper was illustrated by several large diagrams. 
Ralstonite, a new fluoride, from Arksutz Fiord ( U.S.A.). — This is fully 
described by Mr. George J. Brush, in a recent number of u Silliman’s 
American Journal.” It was observed, a few months since, by the Rev. J. Grier 
Ralston, of Norristown, Pa. Mr. Ralston found a mineral in minute octa- 
hedrons associated with thorn senolite, and being unable to identify it, he 
sent it to Professor Dana, by whom the specimens were passed over to 
Mr. Brush for examination. The crystals of the new mineral are octahe- 
dral ; and in some cases they are very minute, but occasionally one to one- 
and-a-half millimeters in diameter. They are often implanted on the thom- 
senolite crystals, and also apparently intercrystallised with this species, 
making it extremely difficult to separate the new mineral sufficiently pure 
for analysis. The planes of the octahedron are often tinged slightly yellow, 
and many of them are dull and iridiscent, owing to an excessively thin film 
of oxide of iron, and hence exact measurement of the inclinations of the 
faces cannot be made. But they appear to be symmetrical with equilateral 
faces, and in some cases have all the solid angles replaced by a minute 
plane. 
The Quarterly Metallurgical Report, by David Forbes, F.R.S., is a most 
useful periodical, and we trust it may receive such support as will induce 
the proprietors to carry it on. The third number, now before us, is full 
of important and interesting news from all parts of the Continent and 
America. Besides, it has just commenced a list of works published in all 
