59 

 COPPER. 



The collection o£ copper minerals and ores from New South 

 "Wales is contained in show-cases 63 and 65. They are arranged 

 in districts in the following order: — Broken Hill, Northern, 

 Southern, Western. 



Although not a copper-mining district, a considerable variety Case 63. 

 of copper minerals occurs at the Broken Hill silver mines. Broken Hill. 

 Argentiferous copper ores will be found among the Broken 

 Hill silver ores in case 59. 



Native copper, occurs in great variety of form, more par- 

 ticularly at the Proprietary Mine, and many fine specimens are 

 exhibited. The mineral crystallises in octaJiedra (see page 68), 

 but the faces are generally very irregular — well shown in 5486. 

 Frequently a number of crystals are superposed upon one 

 another giving rise to tree-like (arlorescent) forms, like 1176, 

 or to confused masses. Fragments of other minerals may be 

 entangled with the native copper, e.g., cerussite (1162). Crystals 

 of colourless pyromorphite can be seen on 1846. 



Cuprite, red oxide of copper.* In its massive form, red 

 oxide of copper was commonly found in the upper levels of 

 some of the mines (1764). It is sometimes argentiferous. The 

 mineral crystallises in octaliedra, these being sometimes very 

 perfect. The sharp triangular faces on 5473 will be readily 

 seen. The crystals in 1859 show faces of the rhombic dodeca- 

 hedron, as well as the octahedron. ^ . 



Cuprite crystal. 

 (Rhombic dodecaliedron modified by octahedron.) 



* When bruised or powdered, cuprite is of a red colour closely resembling that of ruby 

 silver. 



