61 



The colour of tho topazes varies from pure limpid white to various 

 shades of blue, faint pink, yellow, &c. Crystals are found up to 

 several inches in diameter. They are readily obtained by washing, 

 as their specific gravity, which varies from 3 '4 to 3 7, is considerably 

 in excess of the quartz (2 5 — 2-8) and other constituents of granite. 



8. Beryls are occasionally obtained in the form of hexagonal 

 prisms, colourless or bluish green, free or in situ. 



9. Zircons, are tolerably common, but rarely found in well defined 

 crystals. 



They are usually met with in washing, in broken rolled fragments ; 

 localities, Killicrankie Bay, and in crystals in quartz from granite, 

 Long Islands. 



10. Tourmaline, black variety, very abundant and in exceedingly 

 fine crystals on the northern side of Long Island ; also occurs on 

 various parts of Flinders and Clarke's Island. 



11. Garnets, often found in washing in various streams, but 

 especially abundant on the south side of Cape Barren, near Half 

 Moon Bay, where they occur almost as a constituent of the granite 

 rock, and in confused crystallization. 



12. Chrysolite. — 1 found only one example on Flinders, from the 

 granite formation. 



13. Red Hematite, both in the hepatic form and in well defined 

 crystals, occurs on the south end of Flinders, on the beach in 

 basalt, S.W. of Mount Eliza. 



14. Exceptionally beautiful crystals of feldspar occur in the 

 neighbourhood of Killicrankie, north boat harbour, in the rugs in 

 granite, often four or five inches in diameter, and very perfect. 

 The species appear to be orthoclase. 



15. Boch crystal is not uncommon ; beautiful examples are ob- 

 tained from Kent's Bay, on the south side of Cape Barren Island ; 

 and very large crystals of smoky quartz are said to be obtained 

 from hollows in the granite on Flinders, opposite Woody Island. 



16. Mica. — Large masses in spots indicated above. 



17. Kaoli7i of fine quality is frequent about Killicrankie Bay, 

 and generally through the island. 



18. Mineral Htcli, a species of, occurs on thenorth end of Pruin 

 Seal. I had no opportunity of visiting the locality. 



\Read \Uh November, 1871.] 



In continuation of my remarks upon the islands in Bass' 

 Straits, I have now to advert to the Mammalia and, more 

 especially to pen the deplorable memento of the gradual 

 decrease, and now rapidly approaching extinction of some of 

 those species adapted by form and structure to inhabit the 

 wildest and least accessible spots, and whose abundant 

 presence formerly on the detached reefs and rocky coasts 

 throughout the group must have imparted a gratifying air of 

 animation to what are now dumb and barren solitudes. 



It is well, I think, for naturalists to begin to assemble the 

 pages of the history of a species without waiting until the 

 tombstone has been finally erected above it, and I have there- 

 fore gathered from the journals of the earlier voyagers such 



