488 



NOTE ON THE ORIGIN OF " KEROSENE SHALE, 



Chemical Composition — Mr. W. A. Dixon in his above quoted 

 papers, page 135, gives the following as an analysis of the best 

 Joadja shale : — 



Carbon 75-32 



Hydrogen 1 2" 05 



Oxygen 5'49 



Nitrogen 0-28 



Sulphur 0-31 



Ash 6-55 



On the preceding page of the same paper, Mr. Dixon says, " It 

 has been suggested by some one that the shales are the products 

 of resinous spores of some plant. From the persistent fatty pro- 

 ducts of distillation, I think resin must be abandoned, as resins 

 pass more to aromatics. It appears to me more probable that 

 shale comes from some oil or wax producing plant, more likely 

 the latter, in view of the considerable yield of solid paraffin." On 

 p. 137 of the same paper, Mr. Dixon states that "the organic 

 matter of the shale is evidently a very stable body. It is almost 

 absolutely insoluble in naphtha, carbon bisulphide and similar 

 menstruse." 



Professor Liversidge states (loc. cit., p- 145J — "The Hartley 

 and Murrurundi shales are but slightly soluble, if at all, in alcohol, 

 ether, carbon disulphide, petroleum or caustic potash, even when 

 boiled ; but they gelatinise with boiling sulphuric acid, and evolve 

 a sulphurous acid odour; with nitric acid they yield a yellow 

 solution." 



On p. 148 (loc. citj, the same authority gives the following 

 analysis by himself of kerosene shale from Joadja Creek, and, 

 amongst analyses of other similar minerals for comparison, one by 

 How of the Torbanite, from Torbane Hill : — 



