THE MUSEUM. 
41 
figures upon its face. All things being in 
readiness, I , awaited developments. The 
robin, as usual, took the lead. His first note 
was struck exactly at 3.30, and for nearly a 
half-hour he ruled the realm of song. Two 
weeks and more I timed him, but he seldom, 
if ever, varied from those figures. The hour 
of five found the summer yellow-bird and song 
sparrow sufficiently awake to add their quota 
of delight. But scarcely had they thrilled the 
fields and groves around with their sweet 
cadences, than they were hushed into silence 
by sounds more shrill than jay or crow e’er 
uttered, for the sparrows—those saucy, hate¬ 
ful gamins from Albion’s shores—had now 
essayed their matins. At five, outdone by 
heat and worry, they ceased awhile their clat¬ 
ter, and anon was heard the twitter of the 
redstart, as he glided among the branches, 
or that of the barn swallow, as he gracefully 
cleaved the ether. Six o’clock ushered in the 
tinkling, bell-like utterances of the wood 
thrush, and, as he poured from lofty tree his 
matchless music, all other minstrels slunk 
away, or hid themselves for shame. The 
catbird and the thrasher, in the intervals of 
his silence, would, by their many-voiced lan¬ 
guage, command attention, but always did 
their best when he had sought the bush for 
shelter. Later on, the wren and bluebird 
charmed me with their notes, but, by the time 
the clock had pealed the hour of ten, my 
friends had flown, I knew not where, and I 
was left, my thoughts my only solace. 
Thomas G. Gentry, 
Botany.—We occasionally meet with inter¬ 
esting examples of abnormal growth in 
plants. Specimens of Claytonia Virginica are 
sometimes found (as was recently the case in 
West Philadelphia) with seven petals, and 
Rev.W. M. Beauchamp, of Baldwinsville, N.Y., 
writes us that he saw this season a double 
Trillium grandifiorum , which had six sepals, 
longer than the petals, eighteen petals and 
the usual three stem leaves. The color was 
a greenish white. The same gentleman re¬ 
ports the discovery of Listera australis as 
far north as Baldwinsville. 
pineraUtgy. 
Jefferisite. —Three miles south of West 
Chester, Chester County, Pa., near the cele¬ 
brated “ Birmingham Serpentine Quarry,” is 
found a micaceous-looking mineral called 
“Jefferisite,” named after its discoverer, 
William W. Jefferis, Esq. It was first brought 
to the attention' of mineralogists about the 
year 1853. Specimens being sent to Prof. 
Brush, of Yale College, he referred it as a 
variety of Vermiculite . In 1866 he gave it a 
more careful examination, and announced it 
as a new mineral, a hydrous silicate of mag¬ 
nesia and iron. 
It occurs in veins, in serpentine, in crystals 
or crystalline plates of hexagonal form, like 
mica, cleaving readily into thin laminae, which 
are flexible, but not elastic ; the surface of 
the plates being marked by lines crossing at 
angles of 60 and 120 degrees. Hardness, 1.5 ; 
gravity, 2.30 ; color, dark yellowish-brown or 
brownish-yellow. It exfoliates very remark¬ 
ably when placed in the flame of a lamp or 
gas-light, which peculiarity, in connection with 
its crystalline form, will distinguish it from all 
other minerals. 
In reply to one of the A. A. queries in your 
first issue, I would say that when the Japanese 
quartz, that is used by them in making their 
famous “ crystal balls,” is examined in the 
rough state, it frequently shows a decided 
cleavage plane. This variety of quartz is 
even clearer than the clearest crystals we have. 
There is something attractive in the pellucid 
softness or richness of tone in its natural con¬ 
dition. To be sure, these masses are fre¬ 
quently portions of huge crystals, but it is 
entirely unlike anything we have. A piece I 
examined a short time ago, and at present 
have in my cabinet, is very translucent, and 
possesses as true a cleavage plane as any 
feldspar ever did. But this peculiarity is 
confined to the central plane; all other parts, 
give the usual conchoidal fracture. 
W. S. Beekman. 
