ALUMINA. 
329 
SCAPOLITE. 
[From the Greek dxctrfos, a rod, and \t6os, a stone; in allusion to the rod-like appearance of the crystals.] 
Parantliine, Wernerite, Meionite, and Dipyre. Hauy. — Scapolite, and Meionite. Cleaveland. — Meionite or 
Scapolite, and Gabronite. Thomson. — Scapolite, and Nuttalite. Phillips. — Pyramidal Feldspar or Scapolite, 
and Meionite. Jameson. — Pyramidaler Elain-Spath. Mohs; and Nuttalite. Mohs (App. II. 660). — Meio¬ 
nite, and Wernerite. Beudant. — Scapolite. Shepard and Dana. 
Description. Colour, white, grey, green, yellow or red. It occurs regu¬ 
larly crystallized ; also massive and disseminated. The primary form 
is a right square prism, Fig. 279 ; but it often occurs in prisms of eight 
or twelve sides, variously terminated and sometimes aggregated late¬ 
rally. Cleavage parallel to the sides, terminal planes and both diagonals 
of the primary. Fracture conchoidal and uneven. Lustre shining, pearly, 
resino-vitreous and resino-pearly. From transparent to opaque. Brittle. 
Hardness from 5.0 to 5.5. Specific gravity from 2.50 to 2.75. By 
calcination, it gives off water without losing its transparency. Before 
the blowpipe, it fuses with intumescence into a colourless semi-transparent mass ; with borax, 
with effervescence into a transparent glass. It is attacked with difficulty by the acids, the 
solution being precipitated by oxalate of ammonia. 
Its crystalline form, specific gravity, and inability to become electric by heat and to form a 
jelly with acids, will serve to distinguish scapolite from some varieties of zeolite, stilbite, etc., 
which it often resembles. 
The different varieties of minerals belonging to this species were found at different times; 
and not resembling each other in their external characters, they received different names. 
Thus, Hauy describes as distinct the Meionite, Wernerite and Parantliine, although his figures 
of the crystalline forms of the three minerals are almost exactly similar. Subsequent crys- 
tallographical examinations and chemical analyses have sufficiently established their identity; 
and they are now, with some other varieties, usually included under the name of Scapolite. 
Meionite. This includes the white, more transparent and highly crystallized varieties. 
Scapolite. It consists of the translucent and opaque crystals, and the massive varieties 
which are tinged green, black and red. 
Wernerite. This name is usually applied to the crystallized variety, which has a greenish 
or greenish grey colour. 
Nuttallite. This name was given by Brooke to a variety which has a grey or bluish colour, 
and is softer and has a more vitreous fracture than common scapolite. It also possesses a 
play of light on the faces of the prism, similar to that of elaolite. It is, however, identical 
in crystalline form and composition. 
Parantliine includes the more compact varieties. It has a pure white or pale blue colour ; 
while Dipyre is of a grey or reddish white colour, and becomes slightly phosphorescent on 
the application of heat. 
Min. — Part II. 
Fig. 279. 
42 
