61 



green alteration of nanfockite, just mentioned, may be regarded Case 63. 

 as atacamite. 



Copper pyrites, yellow sulphide of copper and iron. This 

 mineral is the most important ore of copper. It can generally 

 be readily distinguished from iron pyrites by a difference in the 

 shade of its yellow colour and by its inferior hardness.* 



Oovellife, an indigo-blue sulphide of copper. 1273, Cons,ols 

 Mine. 9990, near Broken Hill : covellite resulting from the 

 alteration of copper pyrites. 



The copper deposits here are not of mueb importance, and but Nortliern 



j; • 1 District, 



lew specimens are shown. 



1838, Upper Bingara : ricb black sulphide ore. 



1876, Bobby Whitlow, Bingera : rich copper pyrites. 



9104-5, Mount Carrington, Drake : pretty little octahedral 

 crystals of cuprite (seep. 59), with edges and angles modified by 

 other forms of the cubic system. 



6417, "Willi Willi, Macleay B-iver : carbonate ores assaying 

 33 per cent, copper and 21 oz. silver per ton. 4565, in case 43, 

 is a fine block of blue carbonate ore from this mine, assaying 

 49 per cent, of copper and 118 oz. of silver per ton. 



9156, Chandler Eiver, Hillgrove : encrustations of hydrous 

 silicate of copper (chrysocolla). 



7710, Bundarra: peacock ore and bornite, assaying 25 per cent, 

 of copper — a lower assay than the appearance of the ore would 

 suggest. 



' Peacock ore is a tarnished variety of copper pyrites, showing peacock 

 tints on the surface. 

 Bornite is a sulphide of copper and iron containing a higher percentage 

 of copper than copper pyrites does ; it is always massive, and while 

 breaking with a bronzy-coloured surface of fracture, rapidly 

 tarnishes to a deep purple. 



8421, Bald Hill, Emmaville, native copper in fluor. 



• Copper pj'rites can be scratched with the point of a knife ; pyrite cannot. 



