Survey
by Messrs. Edison & Bird. It measured 6 by 4 by 3 inches and was
marked similarly to some of the variscite obtained from the Utahlite
claim, adjoining the Protection claim on the north. The color of this
is a good green, and the markings are such that it would yield
beautiful matrix gems. As mentioned in this report for 1910, a granular
crystallized variscite occurs at the Edison & Bird mine. A detailed
study of the crystallized material was made by W. T. Schaller,1
of the United States Geological Survey. In the more coarsely
crystallized granular variscite some of the crystals are nearly whole,
and in the finer-grained material they were only partly developed.
Good crystals for measurement occur in small cavities in some of the
granular variscite. Mr. Schaller found the crystals to be orthorhombic,
with rather simple forms, b(010), m(110), e(012), and in a few crystals
a(100). Further investigation of new material, supplied by Messrs.
Edison & Bird, has discovered other forms with few, if any, of
those enumerated above associated with them, and these crystals will be
the subject of further investigation. Three different orientations are
given for the crystals, and the relations between these and the similar
minerals, scorodite, strengite, and
S
hosphosiderite, are
discussed. A chemical analysis was made by [r. Schaller and the formula
deduced from it agrees very well with that usually given for
variscite—A1203.P206.4H20. The analysis showed H20, 22.68 per cent; P205, 44.73 per cent; A1203, 32.40 per cent; with V203, 0.32 per cent; Cr203, 0.18 per cent; and Fe203, 0.06 per cent. No nickel, cobalt, copper, manganese, arsenic, calcium, or magnesium were found.
A further description of Edison & Bird variscite deposits has been given by Leon J. Pepperberg.2 In this article the location of the deposit is given as sec. 23, T. 8 N., K. 18 W., of the Salt Lake meridian and base line.
MISCELLANEOUS.
BEACH PEBBLES.
CALIFORNIA.
Photographs
and descriptions of a choice lot of gems cut from beach pebbles found
near Los Angeles were loaned by Dr. Joseph E. Pogue, of the United
States National Museum. This information was furnished by Mr. James D.
T. Chalmers, of Los Angeles, and is descriptive of a collection of
over 500 stones prepared by him. The collection is the result of study
and experiment in cutting promising looking
E
ebbles gathered on
the beaches during the course of several years, ittle attention was
paid to mineral varieties, but stones with peculiar textures, odd
markings, and pleasing colors were chosen for cutting. The gems include
chalcedony, agate, jasper of various colors, and probably several types
of rock which have been more or less silicified and altered.
Descriptive terms suggested by characteristic features have been used
by Mr. Chalmers for some of the stones, such as "enychthyol," "flower
stone," "wire agate," "fish egg," and "Japanese stone," but a more
comprehensive name for all those not recognized as definite minerals is
"beach pebble gems."
i
Crystallized variscite from Utah: Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. 41,1912,
pp. 413-430. 2 Min. and Sci. Press., Aug. 11,1911, p. 233.
