231 



Newberry, Taylor, Skey, and others have conducted experi- 

 ments for determining the presence of gold, which they had 

 reason to believe was held in solution in the saline waters of 

 the deep mines. Mr. Newberry states that considerable diffi- 

 culty is experienced in conducting experiments on this sub- 

 ject, as extreme care is requisite to exclude all possible 

 chance of the presence of finely-divided gold, which has been 

 held in mine-waters either by itself or with pyrites, quartz, 

 and earthy matter. With such precautions Mr. Newberry 

 admits that a portion of the evidence had to be discarded, 

 and the final results were not deemed to be conclusive on the 

 point. Much investigation is yet necessary before we can ar- 

 rive at final conclusions respecting the origin of gold in 

 quartz veins. 



In this place it is of interest to observe that Sir 

 R. Murchison's settled opinion of the " downward im- 

 poverishment of gold-bearing quartz veins" has not 

 been sustained by practical experience in Australia, 

 where gold is now successfully worked in many 

 places over 2,000 feet below the surface, and in one place at 

 2,409 feet, or nearly half-a-mile deep. His peculiar views with 

 respect to the superficial distribution of gold, and of the 

 downward persistence of silver, were no doubt coloured to a 

 great extent by the idea that the sacred writer of Job a 

 indicated such a form of distribution as regards gold and 

 silver, in the aphorism — 



" Surely there is a vein for the silver. . . . The earth hath dust of gold." 

 His fears for the ultimate failure of the gold supply were 

 therefore unnecessarily increased. 



NOTES AND DESCRIPTIONS OF CRINOIDEA PROM 

 THE UPPER PALAEOZOIC ROCKS OP TASMANIA. 



By Robt. M. Johnston, F.L.S. 



ENCRINITE STEMS FROM PACHYDOMTJS BEDS, DARLINGTON, 

 MARIA ISLAND. 



I have recently examined a very interesting collection of 

 articulated encrinite stems, variously sculptured, obtained by 

 Mr. Pcrrin. The inside casts of similar forms are also of 

 common occurrence in the Porter Hill and Shot Tow r er beds. 

 In the Darlington specimens, however, the external sculpture 

 is exhibited in great perfection. As these forms may be of 

 service in matters relating to the correlation of the various 

 divisions of the Upper Palaeozoic rocks, I have taken pains 



