116 COEUNDUM, ITS OCCURRENCE AND DISTRIBUTION. 
Near Norris, Madison County, Mont., Mr. A. ^y. Tanner reports 
the finding of considerable corundum of ^em (juality in his concen- 
trates from gokl-placer mining. One piece of corundum showing 
good red and green colors weighed 8 ounces, and one piece of ruby^ 
corundum weighed 588J carats. 
IDAHO. 
Semitransparent to translucent corundum of various shades of blue 
and green has been found in many of the gravel deposits in the 
vicinity of Pierce, Shoshone County, Idaho, especially those on 
Khodes and Orofino creeks. Associated w^ith the conuidum are 
rutile, menaccanite, and garnet. This corundum was discovered ])y 
Mr. Victor C. Heikes in connection with the black-sand investigations 
at Portland, Oreg. 
CORUNDUM. 
Under this head are included all the translucent to opaque varieties 
of all colors, subdivided into block, crystal, and sand corundum. 
A sharp line can be drawn betAveen corundum and emery, but no 
such distinction can l)e made betAveen corundum and sapphire; for 
many pieces of corundum are found that have transparent i)ortions, 
and many sapphire gems haA^e been found in masses of corundum tliat 
AA^ere being mined for abrasive })urposes. 
In the folloAving descriptions corundum deposits liaA^e been taken u]:) 
by States, approximately in the order of importance. Many of 
the localities are briefly noticed, but the larger and more important 
deposits are described in detail. 
NORTH CAROLINA. 
This State presents the greatest development both of peridotite and 
corundum. The peridotite belt here attains its greatest Avidth, and the 
largest outcrops of chrysolitic rocks in the Atlantic States are found 
in its soutliAvestern counties. As indicated on the map ( PL XV) , corun- 
dum occurs in Clay, Macon, Jackson, Haywood, Transylvania, Bun- 
combe, Madison, Yancey, and Mitchell counties along the belt of 
basic magnesian rocks ; and it is found east of the Blue Ridge in the 
counties of Clev^eland, Burke, Gaston, Alexander, Iredell, and 
Guilford, these localities east of the Blue Ridge, howcA^er, not appear- 
ing on the map. In the folloAving descri]:)tions only those deposits 
liaA^e been considered AAdiich have l^een mined for corundum or Avhich 
hold out a promising })rospect for the mineral. These Avill be taken 
up by counties, beginning Avith the more important ones. 
