Oct. 1, 1869.] 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



227 



SUTHERLAND GOLD. 



[Preliminary Report by Dr. Lauder Lindsay. Presented to 

 the Geological Society of Edinburgh, March 11th, 186g.] 



TTAVING had submitted to me by the 

 -*-*■ Geological Society of Edinburgh, a sample 

 of gold from the Kildonau Gold-field, Sutherland- 

 shire, with a request that I would give an opinion 

 as to its quality — I have compared its characters, 1. 

 with those of many hundred specimens of native 

 gold, which I have had opportunities of examining 

 from all the principal auriferous countries of the 

 world, of whose characters I made memoranda at 

 the time I examined them; and 2. with those of 

 gold-specimens in my private cabinet of minerals from 

 (a) New Zealand, (b) Nova Scotia, and (c) Scotland 

 (Lead Hills) : and, as the result of the comparative 

 •examination, I beg to report my opinion: — That 

 the Kildonau gold now submitted is of high average 

 quality ; and that, in particular, it so closely resem- 

 bles gold brought from the famous Gabriel's gully 

 in Otago, New Zealand, in 1862, that it is 

 indistinguishable therefrom by the eye, even aided 

 by the lens. 



It may be safely accepted as proved, that the 

 Sutherland gold now being obtained is of excellent 

 quality. What has yet, to be shown is the amount 

 in which it occurs : and this can be proved only by 

 experienced gold-miners; by shaft-sinking and 

 quartz-crushing ; by co-operation of labour and in- 

 vestiture of capital. 



The Kildonau gold I have seen is mostly in the 

 form of grains or nuggets of small size : smaller than 

 those in my cabinet from Lead Hills. The size of 

 individual nuggets is, however, of little consequence 

 compared with the total amount of gold distributed 

 in drifts or quartzites ; for in the latter gold may 

 be present in amount that will " pay " extraction 

 when it is nevertheless invisible to the naked eye 

 even aided by the lens. 



But inasmuch as public interest mainly centres 

 at present in the size of the nuggets that may yet 

 be obtained in Sutherland, I append some quota- 

 tions from Calvert's work on the " Gold Rocks of 

 Great Britain and Ireland," published in 1853, 

 which show that nuggets of very respectable size 

 (though not to be compared with the "monster 

 nuggets" of Australia) have been found in Scot- 

 land and in Sutherland. And I may add that there 

 is no geological reason why equally large nuggets 

 should not again be discovered when proper pains 

 are bestowed on the search therefor. 



Calvert says (p. 161) : "The largest nugget found 

 in Scotland weighed three pounds ! another thirty 

 ounces, or two pounds and a half ! others of six and 

 five ounces ! the next largest one ounce and a half. 

 Two of these are mentioned from Sutherlandshire 

 and Clydesdale." Again (p. 163), " In 1840 a nugget 

 was found (in Sutherlandshire) weighing one ounce 



and a half, in the bed of the Kildonan, a mountain 

 stream " ; and at p. 167 he tells us that the thirty- 

 ounce nugget was from Crawford Moor, that is, 

 Lead Hills of modern topographical nomenclature. 

 Now, at the present market price of Sutherland 

 gold, the nuggets just mentioned would possess the 

 following value in hard cash :— 



1. That of 3 lb £144 



2. „ 2' „ £120 



3- „ 6 oz £24. 



4- » 5 „ £20 



5 - » H „ £6 



I may further add that the market price here 

 quoted— as that which Sutherland Gold, fetches in 

 the markets of Inverness, Edinburgh, and Glasgow, 

 —is greatly above that of much of the gold that is at 

 present being produced (according to the mail just 

 arrived) by the rich Thames gold field of Auckland, 

 New Zealand, which is realizing only £2. 10s. to £3 

 per ounce. 



THE SHORT-EARED OWL. 



(Strix brachyotus.) 



A LL sportsmen should be naturalists; their 

 -£** rambles across country in search of fur and 

 feather give them opportunities for observation 

 which fall to the lot of few besides themselves; 

 while, by virtue of their "license to kill," they are 

 led to explore sundry out-of-the-way holes and 

 corners, which under other circumstances would be 

 passed by. In this way they unavoidably become 

 acquainted with many birds and animals which are 

 not included in the list of " game," but which, 

 nevertheless, by the beauty of their plumage, or by 

 their graceful movements, contribute greatly to the 

 pleasure of a day's shooting. 



What sportsman does not remember the occasion 

 of his first acquaintance with the Short-eared Owl ? 

 It was early in October, the weather still fine, but 

 just beginning to get a little cold. In the cover 

 through which we passed, the leaves had already 

 changed colour, and the squirrels in their passage 

 aloft sent down a thick shower to strew the ground, 

 over which in turn the rabbits rustled as they 

 scampered away at our approach. Anon, we heard 

 the Green Woodpecker with his loud laughing cry, 

 and stayed so long to watch his vigorous blows 

 upon the old beech, that we had almost forgotten 

 that our object in leaving home was " shooting." It 

 was just about the time for the Woodcocks to 

 arrive, and we were anxious to meet " the first cock 

 of the season " and give him a warm reception. 

 Passing out of the cover and crossing a stream, we 

 found ourselves upon an open waste covered with 

 two species of heath and the spongy sphagnum. A 

 more promising spot could not be found. The 

 Woodcocks, if arrived, would be sure to leave the 

 cover in the evening to feed. along the stream, and 



