502
Review of .47nerica7~ Chemical Research.
of experiments a t oo gave results similar to those obtained a t 30'. The temperature has an unusually small influence upon the reaction velocity, the quotient for 10' being only 1.4. Experiments were made on the rate of the reaction in the presence of a nuiiiber of other salts, of which ferric sulphate alone possessed pronounced catalyzing power. G . X'. LEWIS.
Note on the Variation of the Specific Heat of ilercury with Temperature. Experiments by the Continuous-Flow Method of Calorimetry. BY H. T. BARTES A N D H. L.COOSE. P ~ J v . Rezj., 16, 65-~1.--With the precise method of continuous flow ithis Rev., 23, 189) the authors have carefully executed a fen. experiments on the specific heat of mercury and especially its change with the temperature. For Js, the specific heat expressed in joules per degree, or niayers, the following equation is obtained : Js, ==-0.140154 - 4.462 >< IO-'.? j- 0 . O i j : IO-'^'. Subject to a very slight correction, not yet applied, these figures refer to the hydrogen thermometer. T h e decrease i n specific heat with the temperature is in close agreement with the earlier work of Winkelinann and of Milthaler. G . S . LEWIS. ~ v :
Some Optical Properties of Iodine, 111. BY WM. IY.COBphys. Rev., 17, 51-5g.-continuing his investigation of the absorption spectrum of iodine under varying conditions (this Rev. , 2 5 , 268) the author was enabled, by means of cells made of pure, thin quartz plates, to study the ultra-red spectrum as far a s wave-length 1 6 p , a t which point rock salt begins to absorb heavily. Solutions in ethyl alcohol, i n acetic acid and in both chloroform and carbon disulphide were studied as types, respectively, of the brown, of the red-brown, and the violet solutions. I n the first two cases the solutions absorb more than the pure solvents, and absorption bands due to the iodine appear. I n the two last solutions, the transmission curves coincide throughout with those of the solvents, showing that iodine in violet solutions is transparent through the whole ultra-red. G. S . LEWIS. LEKTz.
MINERALOGICAL AND GEOLOGICAL CHEnISTRY. The Origin of Coral Reefs as Shown by the Maldives. BY J. STANLEY GARDIXER.ATJZ. J . Sci., 16. 203-213 ; figure. UT. F. HILLEBKAKD. The Occurrence of the Texas flercury Minerals. B r BENJAF. HILL. Am. J . S i . , 16, 2 j ~ - ~ j ~ . - - T h e s minerals e are found in both the Upper and Lower Cretaceous rocks of Terlingua, Brewster County, in proximity to volcanics. T h e deposits of the Lower Cretaceous, n.hich are a t present the most important, occur in decomposed and brecciated zones in the Edwards and MIS
Minera Zogica I and GeologicaZ CheinzstrJ1,
503
Washita limestones, which zones are often contiguous to fissure veins that may have served as channels for the ore-bearing solutions. These fissures are also often ore-bearing, and are always filled with calcite, besides which are found gypsum, iron oxides, manganese, and sometimes much aragoiiite. Quartz crystal.< are never found with the ore. Cinnabar, the principal mercury mineral, occurs a t times in beautiful ruby-red crystals associated with calcite and native mercury, also in granular crystalline masses, and again in large amorphous masses, varying in color, like the granular masses, from vermilion to dark reddish brown. Some cavities have yielded as much as 20 pounds of native mercury filling interstices b e t n ~ e ncrysta!line masses of calcite. I t is also present in the clay filling of seams and in orie instance in a close-grained limestone.” Calomel occurs sparingly with the same association as the native mercury, and also generally with a little terlinguaite. Terlinguaite with two other nem7 minerals (see next abstract) “ h a v e been found in only one locality, which was a vug in a calcite vein. T h e material was associated with considerable mercury and what is locally known as amalgam, a mixture of cinnabar and native mercury.” I n the Upper Cretaceous, cinnabar and native mercury are the only mercury minerals found, and calcite is a less frequent :issociate, but pyrite occurs in some quantity, which is not the case in the Lower Cretaceous. W. F. HILLEBAND. I‘
Eglestonite, Terlinguaite and flontroydite, New flercury llinerals from Terlingua, Texas. BY ALFREDJ. MOSES. Anz. /. Sci., 16, 253-263 ; figures.-I. Eglestonite, an isometric oxychloride of mercury. 111 crystals resembling sphalerite, rarely exceeding 1 mm. in diameter, associated with terlinguaite, montroydite, calomel, native mercury, and calcite. System isometric, class hexoctahedral. Forins observed: 100, 1 1 0 , 1 1 2 , 123, with the dodecahedral planes the largest. Luster, brilliant adamantine to resinous. Color, varying between brownish yellow and yellowish brown, but darkening quickly on exposure to sunlight and beconling nearly black but retaining a high luster. I n powder, greenish yellow to canary-yellow, becoming quickly green and finally black on exposure to light. Transparent, if smooth-faced. Brittle and without observed cleavage. Hardness, between 2 and 3. Specific gravity of two picked samples, 8.309 and 8.345. Heated on charcoal, volatilizes completely without fusion aiid forms a slight grayish sublimate. I n the closed tube, decrepitates, becomes orange-red, evolves dense white funirs and deposits a white, non-crystalline sublimate which is slightly yellow hot, drives without fusing, is soluble in nitric acid and gives the chlorine tests with copper oxide. Later the orange-red residue volatilizes completely, forniing a niercury mirror beyond the ring of chloride. In dilute nitric acid, the crystals become opaque
R e ~ ’ i ~ of7 i ~Anrericnu Chemical Research.
504
and pinkish white but retain their shape, and there is a visible formation of nietallic mercury. On heating, the mercury dissolves with effervescence and the pinkish white residue is slowly but completely dissolved. In cold hydrochloric acid the crystals do not whiten, but i n hot acid the surface becomes gray from metallic mercury, which dissolves with a very slight effervescence. T h e greater portion of the crystal is insoluble even in concentrated cold acid. If hydrochloric acid is added during the dissolving i n nitric acid, there is a heavy precipitate formed, which on heating dissolves quickly and completely, as does also the white residue. T h e coniposition is : I.
................ 2.60 ............... S.72 Hg ................ 88.67 0.. Cl..
11.
111.
2.26 7.24 90.45
IV.
1’.
....
....
....
7.81 90.72
7.68 88.25
89.70
8.20
T h e average of these results leads to the ratio 0 : C1 : H g = 2.036 : 3 : 6.005 and the formula Hg,Cl,O?. Named after the late Prof. Thos. Egleston. 2. Tedi?zguai/e,a moiioclinic oxychlovide of vievcz~~y.Usually as an aggregation of imperfect striated crystals, and less frequently as doubly terminated crystals, not over I nim. in length and of complex form. \
-
’
Axial ratio : a : h : 1- = 0.5306 : I : 2.033j. Angle 13 = 74’ 16’. Closely associated with eglestonite, montroydite, and native mercury. Luster, brilliant adamantine. Color, sulphur-yellow with 3 slightly greenish tinge, very slowly darkening on exposure to an olive-green. Color of powder, lemon-yellow, also slowly becoming olive-green. Transparent, or nearly so. Hardness, between 2 and 3 . Brittle or sub-sectile. Specific gravity of picked samples, 8.728 and 8.723. Between crossed nicols there is distinct double refraction. T h e crystals can be viewed only -
normal to the 6 axis and show extinction parallel to this. On charcoal and in the closed tube, behaves like eglestonite,except that a little oxide appears to be formed, giving a pinkish tinge to the white sublimate. In nitric acid, behaves like eglestonite but dissolves more readily. I n hydrochloric acid, becomes white but does not appear to dissolve. T h e most convenient distinctions are the yellow color and the very slom~change of color to olivegreen as compared with the brownish color and rapid change to black of eglestonite. I n testing, the double refraction and the more rapid solution of the terlinguaite are characteristic. Hitherto the name terlinguaite (this Journal, 24, R 73-74) has been applied to possibly three different substances. T h e composition is :
........................ I . c1. ................... 7.78 H g . . ................. 88.67 0
11.
111.
....
....
87.38
88.64
...
s.00
IV,
3.47
.... ....
Mineralogica Z arzd Geological Cilemistry .
505
These values lead to the ratio 0:C1: Hg=o.g74 : I : 1.983 and the formula Hg,ClO. 3. Montroydite, mercuric oxide i n orthorhombic crystals. Associated sparingly with eglestonite and terlinguaite, usually “ as a velvety incrustation of orange-red needles projecting from the surface of little hollow spheres and hollow pipe-like stems. T h e supporting material forming the sphere or pipe was metallic in luster. white to gray in color, and although possessing very much the solidity of a soft amalgam and spoken of by Nr. Hill as a mixture of cinnabar and mercury ” (seepreceding abstract), i ‘ was nevertheless entirely volatile, and so far as qualitative tests went was simply metallic mercury.” Occasionally, larger needles of a darker red color were observed, usually poorly developed but now and then well formed, highly modified, and measurable. T h e ratio of a to c is 0.63797 to I . 1931, b undetermined, apparently. Luster, adamantine to vitreous. Transparent. Color of larger crystals, a darker red than crocoite and nearer realgar ; minute crystals, orange-red. Color of the powder, a little lighter than color of crystals. Not noticeably affected by sunlight. Brittle. Hardness, less than 2. Closed-tube and wet reactions as for mercuric oxide. Atialysis gave : Loss 011 heating i n closed tube, 7.13 ; sublimate, 92.87. Named after Mr. Montroyd Sharpe, owner of mines a t Terlingua. Square prismatic and tabular crystals of calomel mere measured, and another yellow mercury mineral was examined which could not be identified, though it seemed to be an oxychloride different from those already described. I t appears in small, yellow needles and short, prismatic crystals which do not change color noticeably W. F. HILLEBRAND. on long exposure.
Preliminary Note upon the Rare Metals in the Ore from the Rambler Mine, Wyoming. BY THOMAS T. READ. Am. J. Sa’., 16, 268.-Palladium appears to be associated with covellite and platinum with chalcopyrite. T h e palladium does not appear to occur in the native state and it is suggested that perhaps it may be in combination with sulphur as Pd,S. W. F. HILLEBRAND. Nepheline Syenite in Western Ontario. BY WILLET G. MILLER. A m . Geologist, 32, 182-185. -The discovery of this rock not far from the east shore of Sturgeon Lake, about 7 5 miles northward of Ignace Station on the Canadian Pacific Railway, extends very considerably its known limits in Ontario. Nepheline is now recognized as a widely distributed rock constituent in the Archaean districts of the Province. T h e megascopic minerals are : Feldspar, nepheline, black mica, magnetite. apatite, pyrite. Microscopically, according to Professor Brock, “ the rock is a hypidiomorphic granular one, consisting essentially of microper-
j06
Reziieze,
q-Ainericau
Chemical h'eseaich.
thite, microcliue and hydroiizpl clite, nepheline, with some biotite, amphibole and a little diopside ? j . -1little magnetite and some calcite secondary after the pyroxene are also present. " A n imperfect analysis by A. G. Burrows, in wiiich titaiiiuni does not appear and the oxides of iron are reported as FeO, shows the following composition: SiO,, j 5 . 6 4 : A4120:4, 19.81 ; FeO, 3.90; CaO, 2.86 ; N g O , O . g j : K?O, 4.60: S a , O , 15.21 : P,O,, 0.103 ; moisture, O . j j ; ignition loss, 3.74 j total, 99. j63. W.F. HTLLEBRAXD.
Some Volcanic Ash Beds of Montana. 1 3 ~JESSE PERRY ROKE. Uuia. of M o n t a m BiilZ., LITo. 17, G'rol. Series, hro. r , 32 pp. ; figures and plates.-Volcanic ash beds are found over a large part of the state and frequently find commercial use. Many of them are iioted by counties, but without the slightest statement as to their mineral composition. T h e oiily new chemical matter is an imperfect analysis of ash from Ravalli County, in which, though characterized as made with care by 0. J. Berry, uo mention is made of calcium. titanium, or phosphorus, and the oxides of aluniitiutri and iron are not separated. V', F.HILLEBRXSD.
On a N e w Lilac-Colored Transparent Spodumere. BY GEORGEFREDERICK K u s z . Scieme, 18,2So ; < . I w . J. Sci., 16, 264-267 ; plate.--hssociated with colored tourmaline iii a new locality iiear the famous deposits of lithia iiiinerals in Sail Diego County, California, are found enormous crystals of spodumene, weighing up to I kilogram and reniarkable besides for their Iieautiful coior tones, which vary from deep rosy lilac in depth to colorless a t the surface. Smaller. siiiiilarly colored crystal.; are also found a t the 1I'hite Queen miue, Sec. 24, T. 9 S . , I
