BY W. F. PETTERD, C.M.Z.S. 183 



and there is a great deal of monazite with them in the 

 form of heavy yellow sand. At Long and Brown Plains, 

 between the HeazLewood and the Pieman Rivers, small 

 glassy particles and ill-formed crystals of the mineral 

 occur in the sandy drift of the watercourses. Topaz is 

 not now much in request for the jeweller's art, but the 

 stone as occurring in this State is not rarely seen cut and 

 mounted. The crystals have been described by Dr. C. 

 Anderson, M.A. (" Records of the Australian Museum," 

 Vol. VI., Part 2, 1905), who states, "At Mt. Cameron 

 topaz is abundant in the stanniferous drift, but has not 

 been found in situ. It is usually much worn, but some 

 crystals well suited for cry&tallographic determination 

 were sent to me by Mr. Petterd. Two crystals were 

 determined in the goniometer, one a crystal measuring 

 12 mm. It is fairly rich in prism faces, having m (110), 

 M (230), V (120), and q (130) present; V predominates, 

 but all are well marked faces, and give fairly good images. 

 The terminal faces are rather dull, only one face of 

 (221) is present. 



'' From another lot of small, clear, colourless crystals one 

 was selected and its face determined. It measures 7 mm. 

 X 5 mm. X 5 mm., and in general habit resembles the 

 last, but has fewer prism faces, and has the rather rare 

 pyramid x (243) fairly well developed, but dull. The 

 prism faces are striated, and give only fair signals." 



Referring to the topaz from Flinders Ish.nd, the same 

 mineralogist writes, '' Topaz from Flinders Island was first 

 mentioned, I believe, by the late Rev. J. J. Bleasdale, D.D., 

 wdio wrote: — 'This may be said of these (i.e., topaz crys- 

 tals) from Flinders Island, that they possess very great 

 fire and beauty when cut, and are nearly all of a pale-yel- 

 lowish shade in the rough.' " 



The best account of the occurrence is that of the late 

 C. Gould, Government G-eologist of Tasmania, who observed 

 it whilst making a geological reconnaisance of the islands 

 in Bass Straits (Pro. Roy. Soc. Tas., 1871, 1872, pp. 60, 

 61). The following paragraph gives an abstract of his 

 observations: — "It occurs in crystals and pebbles in great 

 variety of form, colour, and size, associated with zircon, 

 t-ourmaline, cassiterite, &c. It is derived from the granite, 

 and may occasionally be obtained in fine crystals in situ 

 along with crystallised quartz and felspar. It is abun- 

 dant on the north-east side of Killikrankie Bay in a creek 

 descending from the ranges, and upon the beach. It also 

 occurs in other parts of Flinders Island. The topaz has 



