BY EDWD. B. LINDON, A.R.S.M. 33 
traced out in a highly scientific manner; if I may seem in my 
catalogue to have drawn too largely or too much at length from 
his reports, I must ask to be excused on the grounds that my 
interest in his subject-matter has led me astray. In addition to 
these reports, I have made use of the mineral collection in the 
Queensland Museum (the arrangement of which, as well as the 
determination of most of its component minerals, are due to my 
predecessor in office, Mr. H. F. Wallmann) and my own observa- 
tions in different places also, and not the least part of my 
information has been derived from the numerous people—miners 
and others—who come to me in my capacity of Mineralogist to 
the Museum, for information about the ores and rocks which 
they bring with them for my inspection. 
From these sources I have compiled my catalogue, but I am by 
no means inclined to look upon it as complete either at present or 
for the future; I say for the present, because observers may have 
noticed in different parts minerals of which I have received no 
intimation, and also I have had to leave out some minerals whose 
identity or place of occurrence seemed to me to rest on insufficient 
authority; and for the future, because I hope this catalogue may 
be only the nucleus—or I may say the foundation—for a complete 
mineralogy of Queensland in which analyses made by competent 
men may be found of a large proportion of the minerals; but 
this can only be in the future when mine managers and prospectors 
give more attention to the minerals which they meet with, and 
when scientific work is carried on here with the energy and 
interest which characterises the other colonies, and not in the 
half-hearted manner in which Queensland at present prosecutes 
her scientific researches in all branches, unheeding that a scientific 
basis is most needful for the economical development of every 
industry in a young colony, and that a present outlay in this line 
would soon repay itself. 
I would now like briefly to mention that the number of the 
present known Queensland minerals is comparatively small, and 
that such are, with some exceptions, of more common occurrence 
in all parts of the world. This is due, in a large measure, to the 
fact that the exploitation for minerals is carried on in a hurried 
and unscientific manner, and by men who are satisfied if they are 
acquainted only with such minerals as are most likely to pay for 
working. In the same way mine managers, on observing a mineral 
rather different from the particular one for which they are mining, 
do not hesitate to crush it up with the rest instead of submitting it 
to those who would find in it a great scientific interest and value 
Cc 
