192 The American Geologist. March loos- 
Thk Lar(;est Diamond Evkk Foind is reported to have- 
been discovered in the Premier mine, South Africa, its 
weight being about a pound and a half avoirdupois. It is 
called the New Gem, and its value is estimated at one mil- 
lion dollars, depending on its quality and shape. Its diam- 
eter, uncut, is four inches. The diamond called "Brazil" 
belonging to the court of Portugal, is valued at two million 
dollars, and is three inches in diameter after cutting, dis- 
covered in 1680. 
Unprincipled AssAYERs. "A word shouldibe added con- 
cerning the damage which unscrupulous assayers have in- 
flicted upon the region. With premeditated purpose they 
have, in many cases, issued false certificates, thus buoying 
up nope where it already existed, and creating undue excite- 
ment. In many cases the unsuspecting miner has been led 
to continue his search for the metals in the most imppssil^e 
places. Xo one thing has contributed more harm to this 
industry than have these unprincipled assayers." E (j. 
Woodruff, Srd Biennial Report, Oklahoma. 
JMew York Academy of Sciences, Section of (teoi.ogy 
AND MiNERAioGT. At a late meeting the following entitled 
papers were read : 
"The Serpentines and Associated Asbestos of Belvedere 
Mountain, Vermont," V. F. Marsters. 
"Interpretation of Certain Interglacial Laminated Clays 
and Their Bearing upon Measurement of Geologic Time," 
Charles P. Berkey. 
"Evolution of Some Devonic Spirifers." A. ^^^ Grabau. 
At the meeting of January 9th, Dr. George F. Kunz 
read a paper on the "Jagersfontein or Excelsior-Tiflfany 
Diamond," the largest diamond ever found up to the present 
time. It weighed 970 carats, and was a gem of most mar- 
velous purity. This diamond was most expertly cleaved 
into pieces, and from it were cut ten gems weighing from 
13 to 68 carats each : a total of 340 carats; and these were 
imported into the United States. Mr. Kunz also stated 
that carbon silicide had been detected in the meteorite from 
the Canon Diablo by Dr. Henri Moissan, of Paris, together 
with transparent diamond and black diamond. As carbon 
silicide has been made artificially with the electric furnace 
by Messrs. Cowles, Acheson and Moissan heretofore, and 
was first determined in nature by professor Moissan, if 
agreeable to Professor Moissan, he would suggest the name 
moissanite for this compound. 
Professor J. J. Stevenson read a paper entitled, "Recent 
Advances in our Knowledge of the Composition of Coals." 
He said that the coals of Spitzbergen, according to Na- 
thorst, are in great part of Jurassic age. The mining ope- 
