Personal and Scientific News- 403 
phosphates were soluble in muriatic acid except those of alumina, 
which were soluble in sulphuric acid; now our soft ores which con- 
tain the most of this insoluble phosphorus contain some aluminum — 
working upon this hint I came to the conclusion that the so-called 
insoluble pliosphorus (phosphorus insoluble in HCl.) was a phos- 
phate of alumina. 
Below are some results upon Pittsburg and Lake Angeline ores. 
SAMPLE ONE. 
Ph. sol. in HCl. .011 %. Soluble in HCl. -009 %. 
Residue of above fused .013 " Residue of above + H,S04 .017" 
.024 .026 
Dissolved in HCl. til- Sol. in HCl. + H.SO, 
ter paper and residue Average of two .02-5 
treated with H2S0^ .015 
SAMPLE TWO. 
Ph. sol. in HCl. .0126 % 
Residue of above fused. 0135 ' ' Treated with HaSOi alone .0135 % 
.0261 " " HaS04and 
HCl. -0224" 
The results with muriatic acid vary somewhat. Longer digesting 
with hot acid, particularly under pressure, will give more phosphorus 
in the solution and correspondingly less in the residue, which ac- 
counts for some irregularities in the results. 
H. H. Taft. 
Republic Mich., May 2, 18S9. 
PERSONAL AND SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 
Memoir of Dr. Douglas Houghton, first state geologist of 
Michigan. This biography, now soon to be given to the pub- 
lic, has been prepared by his brother-in-law Prof. Alvah Bra- 
dish of Minneapolis, Minn. This volume will be read with in- 
terest not only by his personal friends but by geologists every- 
where, and by all others interested in the early history of 
Michigan. 
The author knew Dr. Houghton intimately and was closely 
associated with him from boyhood. Houghton was very early 
in life a close student of nature. He made discoveries at ten 
years ; a passion for natural science seemed inwrought in his 
very being. Careful observation, intelligence, enthusiasm, 
energy and industry were striking features of his character. 
Before he was 20 he won honors in the scientific school at 
Troy, N. Y. He was invited to Detroit to give lectures on the 
natural sciences, and was appointed state geologist of Mich- 
igan in 1837 by the first governor of the State, Gov. Mason. 
He organized the first geological survey of that state. He 
first examined and determined the presence and cliaracter 
of the valuable minerals of the Lake Superior region, and by 
his enthusiasm and personal magnetism be awakened a love 
for science among all classes of citizens. 
Prof. Bradish has, we understand, interspersed many pleas- 
ant anecdotes and incidents that will serve to illustrate his 
