THE MINERALS OF TASMANIA. 



By W. F. PETTERD, C.M.Z.S. 



INTRODUCTION. 



It is the earnest desire of the compiler of this revised 

 Catalogue of the minerals known to occur in Tasmania 

 to make it such that it may be advantageously referred to 

 for information on the subject of the great variety of 

 beautiful, useful, and scientifically interesting minerals 

 which have been, or are now, recorded as occurring in this 

 island. The descriptive articles respecting the occurrence 

 and peculiarities of the more important have been rewrit- 

 ten so as to embody the latest information as to associa- 

 tion, crystallisation, and paragenesis of the respective 

 species. As might be expected, much of the matter is 

 necessarily collated from general sources, but a consider- 

 able portion may be taken as original, more particularly 

 that which treats of localities. This may be attributed 

 to the unusual opportunities enjoyed by the writer, coupled 

 with the facilities afforded by several friends who have 

 been induced to interest themselves on the subject. 

 Although written in as simple language as the subject per- 

 mits, it has been assumed that t£e reader has at least a 

 slight knowledge of the subject dealt with. 



The last Catalogue of the minerals known to occur in 

 Tasmania was published in 1896. Since that year a con- 

 siderable amount of work has been accomplished by vari- 

 ous observers, and a careful record has been kept with a 

 view to still further elucidating the mineralogy of this 

 island, primarily from a purely scientific standpoint, and 

 to a certain extent from the inseparable economic aspect ; 

 but as the context will clearly show, the Catalogue is 

 essentially a compilation for handy reference by those 

 interested in Tasmanian mineralogy. 



In explanation of its production, it may scarcely be 

 necessary to mention that to the modern geologist the 

 science of mineralogy is of ever-increasing interest, as its 

 methods are still further applied to the elucidation of the 

 igneous and other rocks which constitute the earth's crust ; 

 while to the chemist the compounds which form the mineral 

 species are a never-ceasing field of observation and interest 

 on account of their homogeneous combination and peculiar- 

 ities of crystallisation. During the past few years a com- 

 paratively large amount of serious petrographical work 

 has been accomplished with regard to Tasmania in corre- 

 spondence with the progress of investigation in other parts 

 of the world, with the result, as might be expected, of 



