xli 



Mr. C. H. Grant observed that there were many reasons why the article 

 had not yet been exported in large quantities for manufacturing purposes. 

 Asbestos was found in considerable abundance in many parts of the 

 world, especially in Cornwall, Corsica, and the Austrian Alps ; but the 

 largest deposits he knew were situated near the banks of the St. Law- 

 rence, and in the United States : there the fibres were of great length. 

 He had not heard of two qualities, differing in chemical composition, being 

 used in manufacture, but there were many varieties from the desiccated 

 fibre of amianthus to the massive i^ock, and these necessarily differed to 

 some extent in their chemical composition. The specimen on the table 

 appeared similar to other deposits that he had seen, but not so white 

 and silky as that from Cornwall and Hungary. Some very fine samples 

 had been procured in Virginia, U.S. He understood that the mineral was 

 found in large quantities on the West Tamar in veins 2ft. thick and 

 upwards, of considerable length. That so obtained appeared to be a good 

 merchantable article, as far as he could judge, comparing it with what 

 he had previously seen. The bulk of the asbestos that had come under 

 his notice was of much shoi-ter fibre than in the samples on the table, it 

 being arranged vertically in slabs of from half an inch to one inch in 

 thickness, but he had been informed that fibres of only half an inch 

 in length could now be worked into many useful products. It should be 

 remembered that Tasmania is a long distance from the centres of manufac- 

 ture, as compared with other localities where this mineral is found, R,nd 

 whence it could be obtained at a low prije. It had only recently become 

 in important demaJid, but now that it is coming into such general use there 

 is a probability that a large market will be found for the Tasmanian article. 



Mr. E. M. Johnston said that he had found a variety of fibre and colour 

 in asbestos according to its exposure to atmospheric influences. It was 

 only possible to get the fibre, in its true state, in the solid rock. Mr. 

 Davies, an authority on the subject, states that asbestos is only just coming 

 into general use, and is found very useful for packing engine piston rods, 

 etc., but dependent upon the length of fibre to be of value. All the 

 Tasmanian asbestos that he had seen had very short fibre. 



Mr. R. M. Johnston read the second part of his paper on the Fishes of 

 Tasmania, which will be concluded at the next evening meeting of the 

 Society. 



The Chairman said that at the last meeting of the Society mention was 

 inadvertently omitted of a new addition to the fauna of Tasmania in 

 the shape of two native rats — one constituting a new genus — which are 

 described by Mr. Oldfield Thomas, F.Z.S., of the British Museum, in the 

 " Annals of Natural History " for June, 1882. One was described from a 

 specimen sent to the British Museum by the late Mr. Ronald Gunn, the 

 other from specimens contributed by Mr. Augustus Simson. A paper on 

 this branch of the Tasmanian fauna had been communicated by Mr. 

 Petterd, and would probably have been read that evening, had time allowed. 



Mr. John Swan remarked that about two years ago he obtained a 

 specimen of a black rat, generally considered as a Tasmanian species, but, 

 on reference to Gould's work, he found it to agi'ee with the description 

 of one previously known to exist in Western Australia, and not mentioned as 

 occurring in Tasmania. He did not agi-ee with the idea that rats of 

 different colours could not belong to the same species, for he had observed 

 two of these animals, which had their nest near his residence, one of 

 them being similar to the one above referred to, and the other of a much 

 lighter colour. When at Deloraine a short time since, he saw a black rat 

 killed, the colour of which induced no remark, being evidently regarded as 

 nothing unusual. 



A short discussion ensued, after which the usual vote of thanks was 

 passed to the several donors to the Museum, and also to Mr. Johnston for his 

 interesting paper. 



£ 



