BY W. F. PETTERD, C.M.Z.S. 21 



35. Barytes (Sulphate of Barium). 



This mineral crystallises in the orthorhombic system ; 

 the crystals vary much in habit, often being prismatic by 

 extension in the direction of one or other of the axes. 

 Tabular crystals are common. Its common appellation is 

 " heavy spar." Although barytes is such an abundant 

 gangue mineral in the veinstone of the North of England 

 and on the Continent of Europe, as well as occurring in 

 wonderfully-developed crystals, as found in this island 

 it is the very antithesis of the Old World occurrences, for 

 it does not, so far as known, appear in our lead-bearing 

 lodes; and it is of the utmost rarity in a crystal form, 

 although the amorphous heavy spar is extremely abund- 

 ant in certain localities. It is here usually found as a dense 

 amorphous mass, quite opaque, or at least exceptionally 

 in a translucent condition. In colour it varies from almost 

 white to a pale yellowish-brown. Occurs with galena at 

 the Linton P. A., North-East Dundas ; at' Howards Plains, 

 Mt. Lyell, in compact masses; at Surrey Hills, containing 

 a little chalcopyrite and minerals resulting from the decom- 

 position of same ; in veins at the Minnow River, under 

 Mt. Roland; at Rocky River, a tributary of the Pieman, 

 with nickel ores ; at the Wilmot River, with native copper ; 

 at the Specimen Reef Mine, Savage River, with pyrites 

 and sometimes gold ; Huskisson River, with pyrite and dis- 

 seminated galena ; near Deloraine, with calcite, siderite,. 

 and galena ; on the banks of the Upper Leven River ; 

 Mackintosh River ; at Mt. Read, near the Hercules Mine ; 

 between Mts. Darwin and Jukes; Alma Proprietary 

 Association's property; near the confluence of the Forth 

 and Wilmot Rivers; and in considerable quantity at the 

 Two Hummocks, Siirrey Hills, 15 miles from Hampshire 

 and 8 miles from the Emu Bay Company's raihvay sys- 

 tem. It also occurs as an outcrop in a flat 3 miles east 

 from the Emu Bay Railway Company's line at its junc- 

 tion with the old Farrell tramway, and it forms an exten- 

 sive outcrop south of the Murchison River, containing a 

 little galena. 



-31;. Barrandite (Hydrous Phosphate of Aluminium and 



Iron ). 



Occurs as dull amorphous indistinctly radiated masses, 

 of small size, brown colour, w.th a greasy lustre. They 

 were found associated with vivianite. 



Locality : Lyndhurst, North-East Coast. 



