MIXERALOGICAI, NOTES — ANDERSON. 



87 



Flinders Island, Tasmania. 



Topaz from Flinders Island was first mentioned, I believe, by 

 the late Rev. J. J. Bleasdale, D.D., who wrote : "This may be 

 Siaid of those [i.e., topaz crystals] from Flinders Island that 

 they possess very great fire and beauty when cut, and are nearly 

 all of a pale yellowish shade in the rough."' The best account of 

 the occurrence is that of the late C. Gould, Government Geologist 

 of Tasmania, who observed it whilst making a geological re- 

 connaissance of the islands in Bass Strait.* The following 

 paragraph gives an abstract of his observations. 



It occurs in crystals and pebbles in great variety of foi'm, 

 colour and size, associated with zircon, tourmaline, cassiterite, 

 etc. It is derived from the granite and may occasionally be 

 obtained as fine crystals in sifii along with crystallised quartz 

 and felspar. It is abundant (m the north-east side of Killicrankie 

 Bay in a creek descending from tlie ranges and upon the beach ; 

 it also occurs in other parts of Flinders Island. The topaz lias 

 evidently been formed in Aeins of pegmatite whicli traverse the 

 granite and vary from one to several feet in diameter. The 

 colour varies from pure limpid to various shades of blue, pale 

 pink, yellow, etc. Crystals are found up to several inches in 

 diameter. 



■• Bleasdale— Trans. Roy. Soc. Vicf.. vii., 1866, p. 70. 

 * Gould— Proc. Roy. Soc. Tas., 1871 (1872). pp. 60-61. 



