178 Transactions. 



never been fortunate enough to find any ; I have been shown cut 

 stones of very good colour and transparency, said to have been 

 found in the district, and have no reason to believe they were not 

 so. The crystals from the west side of Criffel are often large, 

 showy specimens, very suitable for rockeries, &c., for which they 

 are used. Smoky Quartz is not so abundant ; I have found some 

 tolerably clear crystals up the burn behind Kinharvy House, which, 

 no doubt, came from the Psilomelane vein. Ordinary quartz 

 crystals are found in many parts of the district ; no very good ones, 

 so far as I know, are to be had except at Wanlockhead, where 

 good specimens can be obtained. Calcite is, of course, found in 

 manjf localities ; I have found very good specimens at Black Craig 

 mine, and fair ones have been got at Arbigland. Very fine Calcites 

 are found at Wanlockhead. A vein of Molybnite was at one time 

 worked to a small extent at Almorness Head, Buittle ; I have 

 little doubt it was worked under the idea that it was graphite, 

 which it somewhat resembles. Many mistakes of this kind are 

 made from ignorance, and much money consequently thrown away. 

 I have on several occasions seen bright yellow scales of Mica and 

 pieces of Iron Pyrites sent from . abroad under the idea they were 

 gold ; and one of those so-called " mining experts " told me he 

 was sure I " had a mine of wealth on Cargen," and advised me to 

 bore for coal ! Some years ago a firm of iron and coal proprietors, 

 under the advice of one of these quacks, spent several thousand 

 pounds in the vain hope of finding lodes of Hematite on a jjroperty 

 in this immediate neighbourhood. It has been said, and even 

 stated in some publications, that Platinum was found in the water 

 of Urr, near Dalbeattie ; from all I can ascertain, this statement is 

 utterly unfounded. Pyrrhotine, it is also stated, has been found 

 on Crifi'el ; I have never come across it, but Magnetite is 

 occasionally found there, and in other places in the district. At 

 Glendinning, in Eskdalemuir, an Antimony mine was at one time 

 worked, and I hear it is, or about to be, re-opened ; if so, some 

 interesting minerals are likely to be again obtained ; besides 

 Antimonite and Cervantite, in the old heaps I found Valentinite — 

 the first time, I think, this mineral has been found in Britain ; at 

 least, there is no mention of it as being a British mineral in any 

 mineralogical work ; I also obtained some interesting Pseudomorphs 

 there — Cervantite after Valentinite, and Cervantite after Anti- 

 monite. An Antimony mine on the south spur of Hare Hill, 

 between Kirkconnel and New Cumnock, was at one time worked ; 



