SHORT COMMUNICATIONS is not suspected and we therefore classify the mineral as a columbite, rather than ixiolite (Nickel et al., 1963). Gunheath Pit is the third locality recorded for columbite in the British Isles. yon Knorring (1951) reported it in the Meldon aplite, Devonshire, and later, in the Chiapaval pegmatite, South Harris, Outer Hebrides (yon Knorring and Dearnley, I96O). The St. Austell occurrence shows some similarities with other pegmatitic columbites in that the area is considerably enriched in Li. At Meldon, however, the mineralization is considered by yon Knorring to be possibly of pneumatolytic origin, whereas at Gunheath Pit it is clearly pegmatitic, as are relatively rare occurrences of cassiterite and sulphides in the same area. A specimen from this find is preserved at the British Museum (Natural History) as BM.
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