UNITED STATES, CANADA AND MEXICO 263
to
5 inches long, rich in color, and having a high polish. Sometimes,
when large, the crystals have a coating of a rusty brown color, owing
to the oxidation of the included gothite. This is one of the famous
occurrences of this mineral, regarded as natural specimens, but the
purple color is very unevenly distributed, and as the crystals are not
transparent like those from Siberia, they afford very few gem-stones of
value. In Nova Scotia, fine amethysts occur in bands, veins, and geodes
at Partridge Island, Cumberland County, surfaces a foot square being
covered with splendid purple crystals 1 inch across. Dr. Gesner
mentions a geode that would hold about two gallons, found at Cape
Sharp, nearly opposite Blomidon, N. S. Another, lining walls of
chalcedony with concentric bandings, and weighing 40 pounds, was found
at Sandy Cove, Digby County, N. S. De Monts is said to have taken
crystals from Partridge Island to Henry IV. of France, whom they
greatly pleased, and a crystal from Blomidon was among the French crown
jewels twenty years ago. A bushel of crystals was obtained by Dr.
Webster, of Kentville, N. S., in digging a well. Dr. Gesner also states
that he had seen a band of amethyst some feet in length and perhaps 2
inches thick, about a mile east of Hall's Harbor, N. S. Other
localities are the south side of Nichols Mountain, Cape d'Or, Mink
Cove, Scott's Bay, in Nova Scotia, and Little Dipper Harbor and Nerepis
in New Brunwick, and elsewhere along the Bay of Fundy. The beautiful
masses of straight, concentric, and irregular banded amethyst (banded
with quartz and agates) found in Nova Scotia on the Bay of Fundy, are
similar to a variety found abroad, and used for ornamental purposes,
principally for clock-cases and jewel-caskets. The material is slit
into plates so thin that they are often strengthened by cementing them
on plates of glass, and the colors are enhanced by setting the plates
so that the light can pass through. Dr. How mentions prase, green
quartz, as occurring at Kail's Point, N. S. A beautiful hyaline quartz
is found at Scott's Bay, N. S. Sagenite (fleche d'amour, or Venus'
hair-stone) is reported by Dr. How as having been found at Scott's Bay,
N. S.
Agates are found along the coast of Lake Superior in abundance and of considerable size and beauty. The finest are
