BY W, F. PETTERD, CM.Z.S. 93 



At Ilfracombe, near the west bank of the Tamar Heads, 

 there occurs a vast quantity of hematite in associatior. 

 with other ores of iron. Attempts have been made to 

 treat this economically, but ths pig-iron resulting was 

 report-ed to contain an appreciable quantity of chrome, 

 which at the time was considered detrimental to its com- 

 mercial use. From the Penguin River a considerable ton- 

 nage has been mined and exported to other States for 

 fluxing and other purposes, and the same applies in a 

 lesser degree to the deposits on the banks of the Tamar 

 River. At Zeehan it occurs pseudomorphous after cubical 

 pyrites. The other somewhat numerous occurrences of 

 hematite in this State do not call for special mention, as, 

 generally speaking the mineral as known here does not 

 present features of serious concern to the mineralogist, 

 notwithstanding its obvious interest geologically and com- 

 mercially. Almost all the many forms it assumes have 

 been obtained in greater or less profusion ; these may be 

 divided into four principal groups, viz.: — 



(1) S-pecidar Iron — the crystallised form. 



" Hepatic form in well-defined crystals in the 

 south end of Flinders Island, on the beach in 

 basalt, south-west of Mt. Eliza " (Gould, Pro 

 Roy. Soc. Tas., 1871); Forth River; Black 

 BlufiF Mountain ; Arthur River, near the 

 Hellyer ; Dial Range, with manganese oxide ; 

 Mt, Lyell ; Ilfracombe ; Blythe, Leven, 

 Forth, and Penguin Rivers ; Meredith Range : 

 at Ilfracombe a variety occurs which is termed 

 '' needle ore "- — the crystals are often of con- 

 siderable size and much intermixed. 



(2) Mas.'ilve, or Fed Hematite. 



Forth River, near its junction with the Dove ; 

 it is foliated, and has a highly brilliant lustre : 

 it occurs in a quartz-porphyry and covers a 

 considerable area; at the Blythe an enormous 

 mass occurs in practically an inexhaustible 

 quantity and very good quality ; on the west 

 bank of the Tamar extensive deposits exist 

 which have been economically worked ; Cir- 

 cular Head ; Blue Tier ; Mt. Heemskirk : King 

 River; Pieman River; Flinders Island; 



