Mining Operations in the Last Ovoca District. 219 
and partings of melaconite, fahlerz, iron pyrites, marcasite, argen- 
tiferous galena, and occasionally chalcopyrite, and native copper ; 
in depth the other ores gradually give place to the sulphur ores ; 
the copper ores are seldom found at a greater depth than 40 fimms.; 
while the argentiferous galena generally disappears at 30 fms. 
from surface. 
In connexion with these ores large masses of black carbona- 
ceous killas (“ coaly ground,” so called from the resemblance to 
coal) occur, generally as the foot-wall of a copper ore seam or vein. 
The native copper is mostly found in the “coal ground ” under 
the copper ores. I have found that this “coal ground ” contains 
about 12 percent. of graphite, and that a piece of it when in con- 
tact with a piece of metallic iron has the property of receiving a 
deposit of metallic copper, if both are immersed in the mine 
water, which is a solution of copper and iron sulphates. 
At the Magpie shaft the main lode is entirely in the killas; 
while 20 fms. to the south of it, also in the killas, is the “south 
lode,” which here is 10 fms. wide, and is composed of whitish 
felspathic clay, with a little kilmacooite and copper ore. Farther 
eastward, at the Old Whim shaft, a south lode similar in com- 
position to that just mentioned has also been found. It, however, 
has a different position, inasmuch as the first occurs in killas, and 
lies 20 fms. south of the main lode, while that at the Old Whim 
shaft is only 6 fms. south of the main lode, and has the felstone 
forming ts hanging wall, thereby becoming a “ contact deposit” 
(a lode separating rocks, geologically different). It is, however, 
possible that these lodes may be portions of the same lode, which 
was broken and displaced by a fault. Here there is a large mass 
of intrusive felstone which suddenly cuts of the killas to the 
east of the Magpie shaft. 
Madam Butlers. 
The Lodge level (the only south adit, and probably the first 
driven) cuts the main sulphur lode of the Magpie at the Old 
Whim shaft, at a depth of 25 fms. In it three small veins of chal- 
copyrite and two sulphur veins were discovered, as follows :— 
The first towards the south is a vein of chalcopyrite in a gangue 
of kilmacooite (blue stone). This vein was driver. on for 4 fms. 
towards the west, and at the end a winze was sunk 5 fms., the 
