RECORD: Darwin, C. R. [ny.00].14-17. Geological specimens, descriptions and calculations. CUL-DAR39.141-146. Edited by John van Wyhe (Darwin Online, http://darwin-online.org.uk/)
REVISION HISTORY: Transcribed by Christine Chua and edited by John van Wyhe 8.2022. RN1
NOTE: See record in the Darwin Online manuscript catalogue, enter its Identifier here. Reproduced with permission of the Syndics of Cambridge University Library and William Huxley Darwin.
"Miller, William Hallowes, 1801-80. Mineralogist and crystallographer. 1832-70 Prof. Mineralogy Cambridge after Whewell. 1836 M helped CD with examination of rock specimens from Beagle. 1838 FRS. 1859 M and CD corresponded on structure of cells of honeybee comb. CCD7. 1843 M mentioned in Extracts...on the analogy of the structure of some volcanic rocks with that of glaciers, F1670." (Paul van Helvert & John van Wyhe, Darwin: A Companion, 2021)
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Spec 1960 [calculations] Cop Therefore Hornblende
(Spec 1059) [calculations] Therefore Hornblende
I should call this rock intermediate between Feldspar & phonolite Specimen 990
(2
(Specimen 64) [calculations] (Real angle being 92°.55 87.5) ∴ augite
(Specimen 65) 115 18 [calculations] Therefore Augite Cop
(Specimen 59) [calculations]
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(Saturday)
(Specimen 953) Obtained angle of 55° Therefore Hornblende
(Spec 59) [calculations]
[calculations] Twin crystal of augite Miller copied
(Specimen 1865) 40. [calculations] cop Therefore Epidote Cryst of Epidote is 115°.30'
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Tuesday 17th
(Specimen 140) [calculations]
[calculations] The 116°.30' was gained by omitting one plane taking two brightest Cop
Specimen 2252 Hornblende ∠ 127°15' Cop
Specimen 2273 ∠ 109°. What is this?
[5]
ascertained M. Hornblende [calculations]
[calculations] lath with most care yet wrong
Specimen 938
Angle +55° Cop
& + 125° 15 (strike>bad obser)
another fragment 54.18 (bad Observ)
Specimen (323) black cryst 52.50+ Cop
bis 125°+ 2d fragment
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(All copied on this one page cop)
3256 Bad obser. gave 86° prob. albite
3113 angle 90. twice over ∴ Feldspar within 15' minutes or opposite sides a 3d fragment gave 90°.— no doubt F.}
3830. — ∠ 54° ∴ Hornblende Black glittering rock, quality of F. vy small.
3831 — ∠ 55°30' Hornblende—
I cannot anyhow measure the Feldspar, appear white like albite
3112.—black cryst 55° ∴ Hornblende
2079. well formed jet black fine cryst of Hornblende
(55°30').— many scales of mica, vein of quartz. cryst of albite. angles three. (95°. 95' 20' 94°. 40???)
two maclas however were 7°15' & 6°25'. ∴ albite.— numerous specks of pyrites heavy compact rock coarsely crystallize
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962. Numerous scales of dark how mica. do. glittering cryst of Hornblende (124°30') no grains of quartz.— white feldspar.— three darker specimen. (94°.45'. 94°.25' 85°.18')! vide last specimen
1 960 very numerous large scales of black mica few cryst of Hornblende black (125°) base foliated & granular snow white F. angles 93°.48' 86°.38' 94°.30' and a macla 7°.20' all distinct fragments no quartz albitic
2258 Hornblende 55°/ but few good cryst nearly black, generally in small patches imperfectly crystalise & greenish passes into earthy soft specks appearing like chlorite.— very numerous minute grains of quartz ascertained by B.P. — a main mass of white albite, one angle 93°.20 & macla 7°.6'
995 one angle (poor) 93°.6' (another bad 92°.54') another angle 86°.48' therefore albite (125° Hornblende) the latter thickly scattered in small black brilliant crystals whole mass dark grey granular like syenite: very few scale of dark brown mica: I could see no quartz
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994. appear just same as 995
2653 (felspar not very white V 2882) White foliated almost granular so as to pass into nature of base of porph.— one angle gave 90° and another 85° so that more must be examined
Most numerous small scale of black mica & obscure specks of Hornblende: no quartz no doubt green striated Hornblende from resemblance to following mineral
2607. Hornblende not very abundant cryst 125°: ∴ much black mica in large scales.— white felspar well crystallized but slightly glassy & difficult to obtain good cleavage plain. I obtained following angle 85° 90° 90° 95° 15 (90°.6' 89°42) 87°.51'—
I then obtained following angles 180° 91°15' 98.30' the macla measured more carefully 6°.44'
⸮ Feldspar and albite
Miller says probably Albite
(V. 2887. I think very probably also Feldspar)
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2912 Albite (83.54) (86°30' pretty good) (92°30' poor) (93°18' pretty good) (85°18' poor) Hornblende pale green, not distinctly crystallized but disseminate in small patches, so as to make rock mottled.— crystals of F. many of them elongated & glassy.—
2932. — common coarsely crystall greenstone. I cannot obtain cleavage.—
2882 crystallized whitish mass, not very perfectly granular; some with faintest tinge of red, & rather opake, good cleavage 90°20'.— others more glassy & transparent with following angles 87°.— 0.° 172°.42' 87°.45 Therefore we have a macla of 7°.18.' & the two usual angles of albite — Then the scattered crystals in patches of black brilliant Hornblende 124°30'.— & green do. (as in former specimens) mingled with little fibrous chlorite.—
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2933 irregularly mingled granular crystallized black Hornblende and probably feldspar as well as Albite ∠ (90°33' good) (taking different parts of imago) (91. 40 and 90°) // (&, as before 85. 39 or 87° 2') (86° good) 94° 15' 93°30'—
3080.— brown mica. 2 soft green foliated mineral, intermediate between chlorite & Hornblende sometimes when [illeg] passes crystallize assume appearance of latter with about an equal quantity of Albite two maclas 8° 6' & 7° 9'
2906. well crystallized feldspar with tinge of pale red. (angle, 90° on both sides very good) (90° 14' good.) (89° 40' pretty good) and 75° perhaps mistake of 2 cryst) with very few irregularly scattered minute cryst of black Hornblende.—
3081 Confined crystallized mass. black Hornblende green micaceous mineral allied to that in (3080). & little white feldspar or more probably albite could not obtain cleavage.
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3067) Fine granule cryst mixture of small green crystals of Hornblende, appearing of mica & white probably albite. I only succeeded in one measurement which are poorish it gave 93° 50.
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Specimen (3071) (55°10' & 124.48) Therefore Hornblende, abounding with fine large crystals — — The feldspar I could not measure palate strewn green—
(2975) 86.48' 93.30 ∴ Albite coloured red elongated small
(2896) angles (0. (85.48 93.20) 0) therefore twin double crystals of albite.—
Spec 2408 angles 93°.45' (& 86° poor) (another angle 87°.14' poor) ∴ Albite
Spec 3289.) 1°86°: : 94°.15' = 86°15' 93°.45'} 1 fragment
86° 94° 94° 86°} 2 fragments Therefore albite
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3406) — angle 93° (not particularly good)
(3267) feldspar 90° (Galapagos) angle 90°.30', and again 89°.— no doubt feldspar
3472 — angle poor 77.15 and 104°.30' (latter best?) Compare with the diallage: externally closely resemble it
2902 — (59.17) natural planes fuses readily into black dark enamels swell so [illeg]
⸮ what is it? —
Specimen 3125 crystals of Hornblende cleav 124°.— I could not succeed with the Feldspar
3216: Porph with Albite ∠87°. & some wld appear Hornblende
3292 3292 angle 93°. ∴ Albite no such rock probably mistake for 2292
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(real t of albite 93.30 86.30
Specimen (2603) Scale of mica 60° 146° 59.18° — 60 + 94° copied + = 86.42 (latter best measurement) green palete feldspar albite strained green with black specks of Hornblende??
Specimen 2709 Cop angle 74.° 50' real angle 74.55° Therefore Carb of Lime
Specimen 2680 ∠74°.30 Cop Therefore Carb of Lime
Specimen 2255 4.30: 48°45' : 97° 142°.36 6°.6' 48.48 94°.20' + 141°6' 4°.30'
angles = 44.15 — 48.15: 45.36. 43°.30'
42.42 45.32 46.46 43°.24°
no doubt twin cryst of Augite Cop
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Specimen 2390; cavities lined with green earth,— glass Feldspar cleaving 86.°42' and 92°.40' Therefore Albite Cop
Spec 2757. / 85°.30' (bag)
(Specimen 3841. 3841)— 0.95.50
180 179.35 78.20. — (1.40 bad) — 78. 179°. 35V = 78.55, 103.20, 76.20 101.35 ??
(Prof Miller ∠78.26' 79.15 180.2') Prof Miller has it
Specimen 3895.— 0. 105° therefore Cala Spar.. Cop
(Sp 3455) 50° — 5 — 49°.9' + 135° - +44.9 Cop
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Same main specimen 34565)
122°15' (180) – 79.15 122.15 +137° 43° Therefore Augite (Cop)
3 2378. — red metallic tarnished mineral olivine. Transparent cryst gave angle about 95°.30'.
Chabasce has ∠ of 94°46' – agrees under blowpipe to act as do. Cop
3733 angle 90° Feldspar Cop
3736 looks so exactly same did not try Cop
3742. — angle 93°. 20' (mean) — Ascension ejected Volc
Porph gneiss from Rio ∠ 89°18'
another specimen from angler, all under a tree exactly 90. all under a few minutes difference
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Specimen 3247 112 85°
84° 11-92° diff fact.: observ worth nothing
94° 20' pretty good} 1
87.25 poor 93.15 good 87.46 poor 95 poor} 2
93°30' 86° 30 angle of Albite Therefore albite
2757 93° 38' 85° 45'} 1
93° 86 40} 2 Therefore albite
Citation: John van Wyhe, ed. 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online. (http://darwin-online.org.uk/)
File last updated 4 January, 2025