xlv 



attractive, to the youth of the colony especially, in an educational point 

 of view.] 



The attention of the meeting was directed to a magnificent specimen 

 of topaz, discovered by Mr. S. H. Wintle on the claim of the North 

 Mount Cameron Tin-mining Company, and kindly forwarded by him to 

 the Museum for exhibition. This specimen weighs 41b., is of a pale blue 

 colour, very transparent, apparently without flaw, and shows the form of 

 crystallisation very perfectly. 



The Chairman read a letter which he had received from Mr. Ward, 

 Government Analyst, who, he said, had kindly undertaken to examine 

 the West Tamar Asbestos, and to ( ompare it with the manufactured 

 product which had been exhibited in the shape of a specimen of packing 

 for steam joints The results of analysis are as follow : — 



(A) 

 West Tamar Asbestos. "Packing." 



Silica 41-80 ... ... 38-88 



Magnesia SQ-2'2 ... ... 31-68 



Iron Protoxide 8-28 ... ... 6-84 



Water lost at 212 F. ... I'OO .. ... — 



Do. lost at red heat ... 12-70 ... ... 2260 



Lime none ... ... traces 



10000 100-00 



Results calculated minus loss on ignition : — 



West Tamar Asbestos. " Packing." 



Silica 48-43 .. ... 50-23 



Magnesia 41-97 ... . . 40-93 



Iron Protoxide 9-60 ... ... 8-84 



In reference to (b), Mr. Ward says : — " I have also calculated them 

 out minus the total loss on ignition, thus getting a much fairer comparison, 

 as the ' packing' contained oil as well as water. The results show that, so 

 far as chemi. al composition goes, there is nothing against the use of the 

 Tasmanian mineral for similar purposes. The composition in each case 

 closely resembles that of some varieties of serpentine, and not that of horn- 

 blende. 



Mr. R. M. Johnston, F.L.S., read a description of a new species of 

 Fish (Lophotes Guntheri), caught near Emu Bay, Tasmania. 



Mr. Johnston then read the concluding portion of his paper on the 

 Fishes of Tasmania, which had been held over from a former meeting. 



The Secretary referred to the ( laborate and exhaustive paper on the 

 Fishes of Tasmania which had just been concluded by Mr. Johnston, and 

 regretted the absence of several members who had been present at the 

 previous meetings when the two former parts had been read, and 

 who, it was anticipated, would have joined in the discussion upon the 

 whole sul ject when completed. It had been hoped also that t\w. paper 

 might have been printed in the interim, to facilitate the discussion. 

 Mr. Barnard added, that the Society, as well as the colony, are highly 

 indebted to Mr. Johnston for his valuable contribution to this important 

 division of natural history, as, to his own personal knowledge, the 

 publication in the " Tasmanian Journal of vScience," some forty years 

 back, of an article by Dr. Richardson, on the Fishes of Port Arthur, was 

 followed up by an earnest application from the writer to the then 

 Lieut.-Governor, Sir John Franklin, to procure and send home specimens 

 of all new varieties of fish that could be procured from our waters ; and 

 ever since a more comprehensive account of our Fishes has been deemed 

 a desideratum. This has now been accomplished by Mr. Johnston, who 

 enumerates 190 species of Fish as known to Tasmania. Mr. Barnard 



