Miscellaneous. 575 
States Government. These fossils appear to have startled and de- 
lighted him, and in acknowledging the presentation of the specimens 
he remarks, after alluding to his slight delay in returning his thanks— 
‘ However, this gives me an opportunity of expressing a more 
mature opinion concerning their geological age, which I am glad 
to have an opportunity of recording, especially since the examina- 
tion I have made of them has satisfied me of the correctness of 
some views concerning the fossils of the oldest geological formation, 
in which I had little confidence. That these organic remains all 
belong to the Carboniferous period is unquestionable, and it is the 
close affinity with the characteristic fossils of Europe which par- 
ticularly interests and, in a measure, surprises me. Had the whole 
collection been made in Pennsylvania, I would not more decidedly 
have recognized its Carboniferous characteristics, down to the rocks 
underlying and overlying the fossiliferous beds ; and the photographs 
you have shown me of the localities leave no doubt of the great 
extent and value of the Coal-beds proper of the River Candiota, 
whilst the coal itself may fairly be compared to the best in the 
market, judging from the specimens you have shown me, and those 
I owe to your kindness. As to the coal of the Falkland Islands, 
I can only compare it to the anthracite of Mansfield, in Massa- 
chusetts, and the adjoining deposits in Rhode Island; though it does 
not appear quite so pure as the best anthracite of the United 
States: but this is an impression derived from surface specimens 
gathered at random. —Anglo-Brazilian Times, Rio. 
‘WULFENITE’ (MoLyspaTE oF LEAD) IN Brirain.—We have 
just received and examined a mineral belonging to Mr. James Farie, 
Honorary Secretary of the Glasgow Geological Society ; which, 
judging from its general characters, appears to be ‘ Wulfenite,’ 
(Molybdate of Lead). 
The mineral is well crystallized (in drusy cavities of quartz— 
associated with green Calamine) in rectangular tables with the edges 
bevelled, of a honey-yellow, or rather citron-yellow colour, and 
adamantine lustre. Its hardness is between 2 and 3. It decrepi- 
tates strongly on the application of heat, and gives a yellowish-green 
bead with microcosmic salt in the reducing flame, much resembling 
the Molybdic acid bead. But the quantity that could be removed 
for testing, without injury to the specimen, was so exceedingly 
minute that the reaction was hardly so satisfactory as might be 
desired. 
If it be ‘ Wulfenite’—as to which there seems but little doubt— 
it will be of considerable interest to the Mineralogist, being, we 
believe, hitherto wholly unknown in Britain.—E.F. 
[A specimen of Wulfenite is described in Greg and Lettsom’s 
Mineralogy (1858, p. 411), on the authority of Mr. Thompson’s 
work, as having been seen by the last-named writer in the Museum 
of the Stockholm Academy, labelled ‘From the Mendips, near 
Churcbhill, in Somersetshire ; the crystals of Wulfenite on this 
specimen were associated with oxychloride of lead. We shall be 
