189 



ilmenitc or magnetic iron, five distinct varieties could be iso- 

 lated. The high economic value of many such heavy black 

 minerals attached additional interest to further investigation. 



However, though iron and titanium could readily be de- 

 tected by simple means, yet this was far from satisfying, as 

 the variety of types could not be reconciled with known species. 

 Added to this, the nature of the occurrence and the ore itself 

 were suggestive of the presence of minerals of a rare type. 



At this stage it was highly desirable that careful chemi- 

 cal analyses be made. The laborious work, rendered specially 

 difficult by the presence of an excessively high percentage of 

 titania, was undertaken by Professor Rennie and Dr. Cooke, 

 with results as stated in the succeeding paper. 



MiNERALOGICAL NoTES. 



The locality of the find was visited a fortnight ago, and 

 the following observations made: — 



On the original claim, ^ pegged out by Mr. A. J. Smith, 

 there are several parallel veins, averaging a full two feet in 

 width, and continuing in a direction N. 30° E. for a distance 

 of several hundred yards. Altogether the ore has been traced 

 for at least a quarter of a mile. The veins are nearly verti- 

 cal, slightly underlying to the east, and run in the direction 

 of the country ; the latter is possibly Pre-Cambrian in age, 

 and where best exposed is a metamorphic sandstone, in which 

 mica flakes have been largely developed. In proximity to the 

 lode, on either side, the mineralizing waters forming the vein- 

 filling have metamorphosed the country, developing a selvage 

 of solid black mica. 



Basic dyke-like intrusions, many yards in width, have 

 cut perpendicularly across the lode country in two plaqes. re- 

 spectively north and south of Smith's claim. These may have 

 been introduced subsequently to the lode formation, though 

 possibly contemporaneous and genetically connected with the 

 ore bodies. 



The outcrops of the lodes stand a few inches above the 

 level ground, and are typically composed of heavy black mine- 

 rals of somewhat varying types, and notable amounts of coarse 

 black mica and highly-coloured vanadiferous decomposition 

 products. In the case of the main lode a considerable bulk 

 of quartz, usually tinted pinkish, occupies the central vein- 

 filling. In it are occasional bunches of mica and sporadic 

 masses of the heavy black minerals. The shoading of these 

 latter minerals on the surface renders prospecting easy. 



* The 2;round was originally taken np, expecting that the 

 black mineral so abundant would prove to be wolfram or tin oxide. 



