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9& COIOMlTE fAMlLY. Geographic Situation. Europe.—It occurs .imbedded in chlorite-slate on the banks of Loch Lomond; in a vein in transition rocks, along with galena, blende', copper-pyrites, and calcareous- spar, near Newton-Stewart in Galloway; in compact do lomite in the Isle of Mann and the north of England ; in chlorite-slate and talc in the Upper Palatinate ; in the mountain of Chalance in Dauphiny, along with asbestus^ talc, and chlorite; also at Brienz in Switzerland; in the mountains of Salzburg; in granular limestone, in the silver mines of Sala, and in the Taberg in Wermeland in Sweden. America.—In .Greenland, imbedded in common and indurated talc; and in Mexico, along with amethyst, common quartz, and felspar. Observations. 1. This mineral was formerly named Bilter-Spar, from the magnesia contained in it, which is denominated Bitter Salt by the Germans, because obtained easily from sul phate of magnesia or Eps6m salt. It was named Muri- calcite by Kirwan, from the magnesia and lime contained in it: magnesia having been called muriatic earth, as being the base of one of the salts contained in sea-water. Werner named it lihomb-Spar, from its form ; and it is here named Dolomite-Spar, from its relation to Dolomite, and its sparry structure. 2. It is distinguished from Calcareous-spar by the shape of its rhomboid, superior hardness, specific gravity, and dissolving slowly in the mineral acids. Third