New Zealand Institute. 2 528 
large amount of work has been done towards the critical examination of the 
whole collections, preparatory to their publication. The collection of foreign 
fossils has received extensive additions, particularly nine cases presented 
by the Trustees of the British Museum, which are not yet unpacked. 
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BRANCH. 
During the year the following extensions of the survey have been made, 
- the special reports on which are printed in the annual ai pe: report of 
this department (Fifteenth Annual Report, 1880-81) :— 
On the Chrome Deposits in the vicinity of Nelson—The discovery of several 
_ new applications of chrome salts in the arts, and notably the proposal to 
use it for tanning leather, having revived an interest in this ore, various — 
lodes, some of which have recently been discovered, were carefully examined 
with a view of determining if they could supply the market successfully at 
the present prices. The result shows that there are lodes of chromic iron 
ore in ten different localities, containing from 36 to 64 per cent. of chromic 
oxide, but that many of them are in such inaccessible positions that they 
would not pay the expense of carriage. As to this must be added the freight 
to London, which is 15s. per ton, Mr. Cox is of opinion that, instead of 
shipping the crude ore, works should be established for the local production 
of the bichromate of potash. Mr. Cox also examined the further exploratory 
works that have been made for opening up the copper lodes in Aniseed 
Valley, and reports that, as a mining venture, its prospects are still some- 
what t speculative, as for want of capital the exploration of the lodes has net 
been carried on in a sufficiently satisfactory manner. : 
The Richmond Hill Silver Mine was also re-examined as far as possibl 
considering that the main shaft is full of water. It is pointed out shat an 
expenditure of £100 should be sufficient to repair the water-race, and that 
the present water-wheel would be then sufficient to pump the mine, and 
afterwards to compress air for working rock-drills, the past failure of the 
_ mine being evidently due to the use of hand-drilling alone, which is not 
) _ Suitable for following patchy ore shoots in such hard ground. As besides — 
Bei silver varying from 21 to 179 ozs. per ton, the ore contains lead, copper, 
antimony, bismuth, nickel, and zine, it is certainly worth following up, but 
it is considered that it would not be advisable to commence with a gs paid- 
_ Up capital than £10,000. 
: most judicious m manner of extending the workings. 
_ The Collingwood. Coal Mine was examined with the view of adenine et the .. ae: 
