Abstract
A deep red “columbite ” from Amelia (at that time called Amelia Court House) was analyzed by Dunnington1 many years ago and shown to contain manganese in excess over iron, and tantalum slightly in excess over columbium; it should therefore be classed as a manganotantalite. That it can still be obtained on the dumps at the locality was noted by Mr. Gordon2 in 1918, and in the spring of the present year one of us (0. I. L.) found there a mass of bladed albite containing an unusually large crystal of the manganotantalite. It is about 7 mm. thick, and of irregular outline, tapering from about 30 to 15 mm., with small marginal portions showing distinct crystal faces. One of these, which was practically a separate crystal 3x2x1 mm. in diameter, proved to be brilliant enough for crystallographic measurement, as described below.
