26 



KECOKDS Ol<' THE AUSTKALIAN MUSEUM. 



line cracks aud cavities in the matrix, are not of large size, averag- 

 ing about 3 mm. along the axes, aud are octahedral in habit Avith long 

 narrow faces of tlie dodecahedron aud smaller faces of the trapezohedrou 

 )i (211). The crystals in a freslil}' opened vugh ai-e very brilliaut and 

 lustrous, some appearing almost black and metallic, others deep red and 

 transparent, but after some years exposure they become bi-own and 

 opaque. Other miuerals on this hand specimen are garnet in small 

 scattered crystals, occcasional cerussite aud gi-anular or blebby quartz. 



There are several specimens from the South Mine in the collection. 

 The matrix of these is chiefly massive cuprite and limouite. The cuprite 

 crystals, Avliich are sometimes of fair size, measuring up to 1 cm. ahmg 

 the axes, ai-e mainly octahedral in habit and dark brown to red in colour. 

 In one hand specimen the crystals are superficially altered and covered 

 with a dull grey Him ; in another, which consists of massive cuprite 

 dusted over with yelloAV limouite, the crystallised cuprite is composed of 

 numerous parallel aud sub-parallel segments aud partial crystals, Avith a 

 small amount of the acicular chalcotrichite variet}'. In this specimen the 

 crystals of cuprite are dark red to brick-red in colour and are accompanied 

 by a little iodja'ite in crystalline crusts. Professor LiA^ersidge has 

 previously described and figured large cuprite crA'stals of cubic habit from 

 the South Mine^9. 



An interesting specimeu, of Avhich the locality is given as Broken 

 Hill simply, consists of massive cupi-ite, botryoidal malachite and 

 granulai quartz, with here and there pei-fect pseudomorphs of malacliite 

 after octahedral cuprite. 



The figured crystal, which comes from the Proprietary Mine, yieldetl 

 the following angles : — 



Cadia, near (Jrange, N.S.Wales. 



(PI. viii., fig. 1.) 



Fine crystals ul' cuprite are found in (he oxiilisud portion of (he 



Cadia Copper Mine. These crystals occupy vughs in an ironstoue mati-ix, 



the vughs beiug lined with small concretiouaiy mammillatious Avitli a 



velvety black surface, which, when brokeu, are been to be steel-gre}' in 



-0 Livorsidgu— Jouru. It. Soc. N.S. Wales, xxviii.. 18U4. p. 1)8. 



