Crystallized Carbonate of Lime

At the commencement of the study of British Mineralogy I could scarcely conceive the beauty, novelty, and instructive utility of it in our own country; but every investigation of Nature’s admirable ways is replete with the most satisfactory proofs of the necessity of such research, and the most exalted writers have been most indebted to it to give that universal celebrity that is attached to their writings.

“For thou, Lord, hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands.”—Psalm xcii. 4.

To those acquainted with the nature of crystallization and the formation of stones, this must be a curiosity. The elements composing and decomposing each other, according to affinity, are here displayed. While the Carbonate of Lime was forming according to its due course from one menstruum, another disturbed it; and thus it was diverted from forming an entire regular figure, as the metastatic, or its makle, and other additional facets are formed, some deeper than others, so as sometimes to give them an obliquity, and so to disguise the figure, and therefore it is difficult to trace the operation. The upper left hand side of one of the crystals shows most of these facets pretty completely, some of which are very shallow, but one is very sufficiently marked. This is only on one side, or the half coat of the crystal; for the interruption on the other side leaves the included metastatic crystal half exposed, whose faces are often seen roughened by corrosion. This coat often overlaps the edges,and finishes irregularly. It would seem that the powdery white about the gangue has been precipitated, covering some, and filling other crystals, so as to appear as if filling a case—see the lower right hand part of the figure. This white part is granular, almost of the texture of Carara marble, but is more perfect in the following specimen.