BY W. F. PETTERD, C.M.Z.S. 153 



274. Retinalite (Yellow Serpentine). 



A massive, resinous yellow variety of this mineral sub- 

 stance. It is usually translucent. It occurs at Dundas 

 with the normal variety. 



" This variety of serpentine, in roundish pebble-like 

 pieces of light-yellow to brown colour, and translucent, 

 much resembling resin, was found by Mr. W. R. Bell, on 

 the Parson's Hood Range." (Ulrich.) 



275. Rhodonite (Silicate of Manganese). 



Information from Zeehan states that this mineral has 

 been found there, but the statement requires confirmation. 

 It usually occurs massive, opaque, and flesh-red in colour, 

 often coated black externally from exposure. Some beauti- 

 ful examples have been obtained from the New England 

 District of New South Wales. (Cox and Ratte, " Mines 

 and Minerals.") 



Massive, in a somew^hat impure form, forming part of a 

 vein of scapolite in a large asbestos seam in serpentine on 

 the ground leased to the Australasian Asbestos Company, 

 at Anderson's Creek, west of Beaconsfield. Called ''red 

 quartz" by the miners. (W. H. Tw^elvetrees.) 



276. Rinkite ( Titano-fiuo-silicate of Sodium, Calcium, and 



Cerium). 



A substance that is presumed to be this occurs some- 

 what plentifully in the garnetiferous mica solvsbergite of 

 Port Cygnet. It is colourless to rose without crystallo- 

 graphic outline, and with imperfect cleavage. It belongs 

 to the minerals of the first generation in this rock. 



277. Rhodochrosite (Protocarhonate of Manganese). 



This well-marked and attractive rose-red-coloured min- 

 eral is also known as diallogite. It has been obtained at 

 several of the Zeehan mines commonly coating ferro-man- 

 ganese cavernous gossan, the hollows often containing 

 somewhat fine aggregations of the substance. At Dundas 

 it occurs under similar conditions; while at the Magnet 

 Mine it is not unusual to see it in bands alternating on 

 either side of the central crustification of that laminated 

 ore-body. The finest development of this mineral as occur- 

 ring here is at the mines at Mt. Read, with more especial 

 reference to the Hercules Mine, at which most attractive 

 specimens h^ve been obtained. These mainly consist of 

 finely cut crystals and nodular patches, intermixed with 

 small water-clear quartz crystals and pale tinted fluorite. 



