formation of crystals.—_Phil. Mag._ N. S., ii. 123. 6. _Native Iron not Meteoric_.—The following notice is by Mr. C. A. Lee. Native iron, on Canaan mountain, a mile and a half from the South Meetinghouse (Conn. U. S.). This is particularly interesting, as it is the first instance in which native iron, not meteoric, has been found in America. It was discovered by Major Barrall, of Canaan, while employed in surveying, many years ago. It formed a thin stratum, or plate, in a mass of mica slate, which seemed to have been broken from an adjoining ledge. It presents the usual characters of native iron, and is easily malleable. For some distance around the place where it was found the needle will not traverse, and a great proportion of the tallest trees have been struck with lightning. Whether these phenomena are connected with the existence of a large mass of native iron, I leave for others to determine: the facts, however, may be relied on. The specimen has been examined chemically, by Mr. Shepherd, at Yale College. It is invested with highly crystalline plumbago, and splits by the intervention of plates of plumbago into pyramidal and tetrahedral masses. It is not equal to meteoric iron in malleability, toughness, and flexibility, and has not the silvery white appearance of that iron. Its specific gravity is from 5.95 to 6.72. It has native steel intermingled in it, but contains no nickel, or any other alloy. Major Barrall has only been to the place where this iron occurred _once_, and no other person has ever been to the place, or knows where it is.—_Silliman’s Journal_, xii. 154. [p225] 7. _Native Argentiferous Gold_.—M. Boussingault, who has had the opportunity of examining numerous specimens of argentiferous native gold from the Columbian mines, thinks that they are atomic; he has found 1 atom of silver united to 2, 3, 5, 6, and 8 atoms of gold, and considers it probable that the other combinations to complete the series may occur. He has assumed 24.86 as the number for gold, and 27.03 as the number for silver. The following are some of the experimental results:— _Native Gold of Marmato_.—Pale yellow octoedral crystals: Gold 73.45 3 atoms 73.40 Silver 26.48 1 " 26.60 Loss 00.07 _Native Gold of Titiribi:_ Gold 74.00 3 atoms 73.40 Silver 26.00 1 " 26.60 _Native Gold of Malpaso_.—Yellow irregular flattened grains: Gold 88.24 8 atoms 88.04 Silver 11.76 1 " 11.96 _Native Gold of Rio-Sucio_.—Deep-coloured large irregular grains: Gold 87.94 8 atoms 88.04 Silver 12.06 1 " 11.96 _Native Gold of the Otra Mina_.—Pale yellow octoedral crystals: Gold 73.4 3 atoms 73.40 Silver 26.6 1 " 26.60 _Native Gold of Guamo_.—Brass-yellow indeterminate crystals: Gold 73.68 3 atoms 73.40 Silver 26.32 1 " 26.60