Hard Carbonate of Lime

Great Britain is highly indebted to the Right. Hon. Charles Greville’s mineralogical ardour, for one of the most complete and scientific collections in the world; and I am happy to congratulate my friends on his generosity in readily allowing me the free use of it, as nothing can now be wanted, as far as is at present known, to complete the British history of this kingdom of Nature, with my own collection and those of other friends already mentioned.

The present specimen from Scotland is a great curiosity to the mineralogical world and was first noticed in Mr. Greville’s collection by the Count de Bournon, who has given an excellent account of it in Phil. Trans.

We understand that only a few specimens have been preserved, which were collected in the neighbourhood of Glasgow. The structure at first sight has something new in it; but it might be taken for Carbonate of Lime, which it really is, although the fracture much resembles that of Quartz, but is somewhat rougher. We admire Count de Bournon’s indefatigable patience in measuring and pointing out the modification of these crystals, which we did not attempt; we have only ventured to point out a few faces that were passed over, as they may possibly be somewhat interesting; for which reason we have made sketches of them. The bases seem exactly as the Count has determined them. The principal are 3 small ones on the summit, as represented fig. 2.–Fig. 4. shows a minute triangular one, and one of those above mentioned. The matrix is ferriferous Carbonate of Lime with Pyrites and small double-pointed crystals of Quartz.

Flos-ferri and Arragon Spar of old authors belong to this variety.