IV.—CHEMISTRY. 
Авт. XLIV.— Notes upon the Mineral Oils of New Zealand. 
By ҰпллАм Sxey, Analyst to the Geological Survey of New Zealand. 
[Read before the Wellington Philosophical Society, 16th January, 1874.] 
ABOUNDING, as this colony does, in carbonaceous deposits, mineralized through 
all the stages of lignite, brown coals, bituminous coals, and anthracite, it is 
only reasonable to suppose that mineral oils should also oceur in it; and 
indeed oils of this nature have long been known to exist here in small 
quantity, as films upon the surface of the water of certain springs, or wells 
sunk to a little depth ; but it was only in the year 1866 that the attention of 
those in a position to give it effect was directed towards ascertaining the 
precise character of these oils, and the prospects of their occurrence in 
quantity.* 
In that year samples were forwarded to the Colonial Laboratory for 
analysis, both from the eastern and western sides of the North Island, and the 
results of their analysis, together with geological reports upon the nature of 
the country where they were procured, were duly published in the Annual 
Report for 1866—7, issued by the Geological Survey Department. 
by whom they were respectively contributed, and have been besides published 
in a brief manner in our local papers, still I do not think they have that degree 
of publicity which the i portance of the subject demands for them ; nor yet do 
those anxious to be informed on this matter, I have prepared this paper. 
Before I enter further into this subject I will remind anyone who may 
need it that these petroleums are simply hydrocarbons, or hydrogen in com- 
bination with carbon in different proportions, and every petroleum is a mixture 
of à great number of such hydrocarbons ; and generally, according to the 
proportion of hydrogen to the carbon of any petroleum, so is its density. As 
* N.Z. Gazette, 29th June, 1866. Geol, Rept., 1866-7, P.8. Col. Mus. and Lab, 
Repts., 1867, p. 19. 
