50 QUICKSILVER DEPOSITS OF THE PACIFIC SLOPE. 



and in Rlienish Bavaria, as well as in New Zealand. A greasy hydrocar- 

 bon accompanied tlie deposit described by Mr. Hutton. Dr. J. Hector^ 

 gives an interesting account of an occurrence at Ohaeawai, on the south 

 side of Omapere Lake, and therefore near Mr. Hutton's locality. Hot 

 springs and steam escape from the terminal end of a scoriaceous stream of 

 lava, which has emanated from conical hills on the south side of the lake. 

 These springs deposit a brown "sandstone" in laminated beds. This inco- 

 herent, granular, silicious sinter includes fragments of the surrounding 

 vegetation. It also contains thin layers of cinnabar-sand and globules of 

 metallic mercury. No great amount of the ore exists in the sinter, how- 

 ever, and its interest is purely scientific. Prof A. Liversidge- reports 

 rolled fragments of cinnabar from Waipori, and native quicksilver, with 

 co})per and sulphur, from Tokomairiro. 



CONCLFSIOXS. 



Incomplete as are most of the foregoing notes on deposits of quick- 

 silver ores, they seem to point to some conclusions which are not likely to 

 be much modified by more detailed descriptions. 



Age of the inclosing rocks — From the crystalline schists, presumably of 

 Arcluvan age, to Quaternary beds, strata of all the larger groups of geo- 

 logical formations are known to carry cinnabar. The mere age of the in- 

 closing rocks cannot, therefore, be a controlling factor in the distribution of 

 mercurial ores. More deposits are found in Pre-Tertiary rocks than in those 

 of Tertiarv or Post-Tertiary age, a fact susceptible of very simple explana- 

 tion Cinnabar deposits are also found in granite and in eruptive rocks, 

 inchuling Post-Tertiary basalts. 



Lithoiogicai character of inclosing rocks. — Cinuabar occurs iu couglouierates, saud- 

 stones, limestones, and shales, or in all the great lithoiogicai subdivisions 

 of unaltered strata. It occurs also in quartzites, slates, serpentines, and 

 crvstalline schists, as well as in basic and acidic volcanic rocks. Thus 

 the lithoiogicai character of the inclosing rock does not determine the 

 deposition of the ore. If there is any rock for which cinnabar seems to 



' Kept. Geol. Esiilorations, 1S74-1876, p. 5. 

 'Trans. New Zeal. lustitiite, vol. 10, 1877, p. 502. 



