When heated in a closed tube before the blowpipe, it whitens and gives off water, at an incipient red heat. In the platina forceps, it fuses with intumescence, at about 2. of Von Kobbell’s scale, tinging the flame with the peculiar green characteristic of phosphoric acid. The button formed by fusion, crystallizes on cooling, showing numerous brilliant facets. Readily soluble, even in coarse crystals, in dilute nitric and hydrochloric acids.
A qualitative analysis, revealed the presence of Lime, Phosphoric acid, and water, with barely discernable traces of Magnesia and Alumina.
The quantity of mineral at my disposal was very small, scarcely exceeding one gramme in weight. In each of the following analyses, the water was determined in 0.2 grammes, the remaining 0.3 grammes being employed in the determination of the Lime and Phosphoric acid. The results were as follows:
| 1. | 2. | |
|---|---|---|
| Lime | 32.65 | 32.73 |
| Phosphoric acid | 41.50 | 41.32 |
| Water | 26.33 | 26.40 |
| 100.48 | 100.45 |
These figures agree exactly with the composition of the neutral tri-basic phosphate of lime (2 CaO., H O, P O₅), with the addition of four equivalents of water of crystallization, (2 CaO, H O, P O₅ + 4 aq.) viz.:
| 2 CaO | 56.26 | = | 32.59 | |
| P O₅ | 71.36 | = | 41.34 | |
| H O | 9.00 | } | = | 26.07 |
| 4 Aq | 36.00 | } | ||
| 172.62 | 100.00 |
In the polarizing microscope, the mineral shows a vivid succession of colors. A sample has been sent to Prof. J. D. Dana, who has kindly undertaken the study of its crystallographic characters, and I hope, in a short time, to be able to communicate the results of his investigations to the Academy.
It is with very great pleasure, that I dedicate this species to Prof. Geo. J. Brush, of Yale College, to whose unwearied zeal and efficient labors, American Mineralogy stands so deeply indebted.