3 
RECENT DISCOVERIES IN MINERALOGY. 
spar ; sp. gr. 6.9. It contains Carbonate of 
lead, with traces of chloride of lead 93.10, 
Carbonate of zinc, 7,02, Total, 99 12. 
(Jahrbuch, 3o?, 1833, p. 333.) 
26. G A UNITE, according to the analysis 
of Abich, consists ofSilica,3.8f, Alumina .35.14 
Magnesia, 5.25, Peroxide of iron, 5.85, Oxide 
of zinc 30.02, Total 100.10. 
The specimen was from Fahlun. 
27. BLUE ARSENIATE OF COPPER, 
from Cornwall, consists, according to Trolle 
Wachtmeister, ofOxide ofCopper, ^3. 19, Alu- 
mina, 8.03, Peroxide of iron, 3,41, Arsenic 
acid, 20.79, Phosphoric acid, 3.6 1, Silicaand 
quartz, 6.99, Water, 22.24, Total 100,26, 
(Jahrhuch, 1st, ’833. p. 73.) 
28. PLATINUM, in Siberia, is found in 
fine sand. A piece was obtained at Nischne 
Tagil, weighing 4 Kilogrammes (8 lbs. 13 oz, 4 
dr. avoird.) in 1827, and three bits in I831-33, 
the two first weighing 8 kil. (17 lbs 1 1 oz. and 
thethird5kils. 11 Ibs.loz.l dr.) It is accom- 
panied with gold,osmium,iridium, magneticiron, 
chromium, brown oxide of iron, oxide of titani- 
um, epidote garnet, rock crystal, and sometimes 
diamonds. The sand is composed of jasper, 
quartz, andgreenstone, and likewise small yel- 
low crystals of rhomboidal, dodecahedrons, re- 
sembling chrysoberyl, the nature of which is 
not known. Among the rocks which accompany 
platinum in the Uralians, serpentine is the 
most remarkable. Gold appears generally to 
exist in the same rock with platinum. (Jour, 
f/e St, Petersburg, 1833) 
29. OSMIUM AND IRIDIUM.— Two 
minerals have been obtained in the Uralians, 
composed of these two metals. One found at 
Newiansk possesses a compound crystalline 
form, consisting of the combination of a double 
pyramid with six faces, with a right hexago- 
nal prism. It possesses a blue metallic lus- 
tre. Hardness nearly that of quartz.Sp.gr, 
39-386 — 19-471. Before the blowpipe, on 
charcoal, it does not decompose. In the 
matrass with saltpetre a feeble smell of osmium 
is observable. It is found in the auriferous 
sand of Newiansk, 95 versts to the north of 
Katharinenberg. It is also observed at Bi- 
limbajewsk and Kyschtim, and several other 
places in the Urals. The crystals of the va- 
riety from Nischne Tagil have the same form 
as the preceding. The colour is bluish-gray, 
analogous to that of sulphuret of antimony. 
Hardness about that of quartz. Sp. gr. 21-118. 
Before the blowpipe, on charcoal, becomes 
black, and looses its lustre, and disengages a 
pungent smell of osmium, which acts upon 
the eyes. It is found in the platiniferous sand 
of Nischne Tagil. It is never associated with 
gold. 
These two combinations of osmium and iridi- 
um, possessing the same shape, G. Rose con- 
siders that the idea of the isomorphism of the 
two metals is confirmed. The Nischne Tagil 
variety, which contains more osmium than 
that of Newiansk, having a higher specific 
gravity, it follows that osmium is heavier than 
iridium. Osmium ought then to have a higher 
specific gravity than 21-118, Hence, it is 
oWious that Berzelius’ sp. gr, 10 is quite er- 
roneous. ( Poyyendorff Ann. xxix,4o2.) 
30. NATIVE IRIDIUM has been found 
at Nischne Tagil, accompanied with gold and 
platinum. It is in grains of the colour of sil- 
ver, verging towards yellow, possessing a 
strong metallic lustre, and is extremely hard, 
Sp. gr. 23-5 — 23-6. Insoluble in acids. It 
is combined with some osmium, and may be 
easily fused, (Breithaupt in Schweigg 
Journ. 1833,; 
31. CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF 
NATIVE GOLD, PAR FICULAI^LY UR- 
ALIAN GOLD. — Gold is never found in the 
earth in a pure state, but is always combined 
with more or less silver. 
Fordyce examined a specimen from Kons- 
berg, in Norway, which consisted of 28 gold, 
72 silver in the 100 parts. Klaproth obtain- 
ed gold from Schlangenberg in the Altai, 64 
gold, 36 silver ; and Lampadius, from an un- 
known locality, procured 96-6 gold, the re- 
mainder being silver and iron. Boussingault 
analyzed gold from difterent places in Colom- 
bia, and found it combined with silver in vari- 
able quantities, but always in difinite propor- 
tions, viz. : one atom of silver with 2, 3, 4, 5, 
6, 8, and 12 atoms gold. (Ann. de Chimie, 
xxiv. and xlv.) G. Rose, while travelling in 
Siberia with Baron Humboldt, made a collec- 
tion of gold ores for the purpose of deter- 
mining the truth of the French chemist’s po- 
sition. 
In the Uralian Mountains, gold is found in 
rocks and distributed among sand. Previ ms 
to 1819, it w'as extracted from rock veins, 
but after this period, the discovery of sand 
containing it occasioned the abandonment of 
working the I’ock mines. Gold in rocks is 
found always in quartzose veins : atBeresow, 
occurring in the form of crystals, and at 
Newdansk, in plates, while at Czarewo Alex- 
androw'sk, pieces are met with which weigh 
from 13 to 24 livres, (18 lbs. to 9Q lbs. troy.) 
Gold produced by the different workings is 
assayed in the mints of Katharinenburg, and 
St, Petersburg. 
The following table exhibits the composi- 
tion of gold from different localities, all being 
richer than gold from Colombia and Siebeu- 
burg:— 
1 
Gold. 
Silver. 
Katharinenburg . . 
sand 
93-01 
6-99 
Hiel 
rock 
87-40 
12-60 
Miask 
sand 
93-0 
7-00 
Bogowslowsk 
— 
88-80 
11-20 
Kuschvva 
— 
90-30 
9-70 
Werch Isetsk .... 

92-70 
7-30 
Nischne Tagil 
— 
90-73 
9-27 
Kaslinski 

91-97 
8-03 
Newiansk 

91-42 
8-58 
Do 
rock 
92-95 
7-05 
Sisersk 
sand 
91-78 
8-22 
Ulaley 

91-45 
1 8-55 
Schaitansk 

95-10 
4-90 
Biiimbajeusk 
— 
93-54 
6-46 
Do 

91-24 
8-76 
Bewdinski 

93-33 
6-67 
Usewoledski . . , . . . 
I 
89-01 
10-99 
Bissersk | 
— 1 
88-72 
11-28 i 
