576 Miscellaneous— Coal in Western Australia. 



so that their generic characters could not be determined. Also in 

 the claystones, the radiolaria were but poorly shown in sections, 

 though the structure could be seen in specimens weathered out 

 naturally on the surface of the rock. But in the siliceous limestones 

 and in the volcanic tuffs the radiolaria were embedded in, and 

 infiltrated with calcite, and by careful etching of thin sections of the 

 rock, the lime was eliminated and the organisms were shown very 

 distinctly. The rock then appeared as a confused mass of entire and 

 fragmentary radiolaria and minute debris of their spines and latticed 

 tests. The silica of these forms is for the most part still in its colloid 

 condition ; in some, however, it has been replaced by a dark mineral. 



Fifty-four species belonging to 29 genera have been determined 

 and figured ; all the species and four genera are regarded as new ; 

 excepting a few primitive types of Nassellaria, the forms belong 

 to the Spitmellaria. The large majority may be included in the 

 Spliceroidea and Prunoidea with medullary tests and radial spines. 

 They do not show any near relationship to the radiolaria described 

 from Devonian rocks in Europe, but in some features they resemble 

 the radiolai"ian faunas of Ordovician age in the South of Scotland, 

 Cornwall, and Cabrieres, Languedoc. 



No other fossils beyond a few simple sponge-spicules and, on two 

 or three horizons, some fragmentary impressions of Lepidodendron 

 australe, have been found in association with the radiolaria. 



These New South Wales radiolarian deposits are by far the most 

 extensive of any hitherto known, and they are remarkable, not only 

 for their great thickness, but also for the manner in which the 

 radiolaria are preserved in the limestones, tuffs, and claystones. 



nvniso:E:iLXj-A.iNrEOTJS. 



Coal IN Western Australia. — The Agent-General for Western 

 Australia has received the following cablegram, dated Perth, W.A., 

 October 20: "Sir Frederick M'Coy reports, regarding further coal 

 specimens and fossils from Collie Coalfield, he is now able to state 

 deposit is exact geological age as great coalfields Newcastle, New 

 South Wales. Coal specimens from bore cores quite equal to best 

 coals Newcastle district. He considers it magnificent and valuable 

 discoverv, and says fossils are Qlossopteris Browniana." — Morning 

 Post, October 22, 1898. 



West Australian Gold. — The output of gold in Western 

 Australia for October amounted to 115,376 oz., valued at £438,428. 

 This is by far the greatest monthly output in the history of tlie 

 colony. During the ten months of the year ending October 31 

 the gold exported from the colony has amounted to 841,625 oz., 

 valued at £3,198,176, as compared with 526,736 oz., valued at 

 £2,001,600, in the corresponding period of last year. — Morning Post, 

 November 2, 1898. 



