THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 65 



accompanied by a slight bubbling, and the fused mass is at first 

 opaque white, but becomes a clear, transparent glass; in the 

 candle-flame alone opaque splinters become glassy, but do not 

 fuse even on the edges, before the blowpipe fuses fairly easily, 

 first to an opaque globule, then to a clear glass on continued 

 blowing. 



On a first glance at the composition of this mineral one is 

 inclined to think it is only Natrolite. Close investigation of 

 characters, as well as composition, will, I think, show a sufficient 

 number of distinguishing features to warrant the present intro- 

 duction of a new varietal name. 



The composition of ordinary Natrolite, based upon several 

 analyses, may be given as follows : — 



Si O2 ... ... 45.74 to 48.63 per cent. 



Al^ O, ... ... 24.82 to 28.38 „ 



Ca O ... ... o to 0.41 ,, 



Na, O ... ... 13-87 to 16.99 » 



Kj O ... ... o to 1. 16 ,, 



H3O ... ... 9.42 to 10.5 



In the varieties Galactite and Fargite the only difference 

 appears to be an increase in the percentage of lime up to about 

 4 per cent., while other forms show the presence of small per- 

 centages of Fe^ O,, Fe O, Mn O, and Mg O. The most striking 

 feature of difference in the composition of the new variety is 

 therefore the relatively high percentage of potash, and conse- 

 quently the low proportion of soda, but associated with this 

 difference there is the difficulty of fusion, which certainly does 

 not appear to be accounted for by the composition, and other 

 features in its behaviour under the usual blowpipe tests. 



A BURROWING FISH (GALAXIAS, sp.) 



By T. S. Hall, M.A. 



{Bead before the Field Naturalists' Club of Victoria, 8th July, 1901.) 



The occurrence in Tasmania of a burrowing species of Galaxias 

 is of decided interest, especially in view of the similar habit of 

 the allied New Zealand genus, Neochanna. 



Early in March Mr. Russell Ritchie, of Launceston, sent me, 

 through Dr. J. F. Barnard, a single specimen of a fish, together 

 with a note, the substance of which is as follows : — The specimen 

 was dug up at Strahan in February of the present year. It was 

 found in " decayed peat and sand," eight inches below the sur- 

 face. There was no water, but the soil was moist enough to 

 harbour worms. When placed in water it swam freely, but at 

 intervals of half a minute or so it came to the surface, ostensibly 



