376 Transactions. — Geology. 



These are only hydrous shales containing a certain percentage of carbona- 

 ceous matter, and are not of any use for the distillation of oil. 



Carbonaceous Mineral, Whangarei. — This is described by Captain Hutton 

 (Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. hi., p. 250) as follows: — "Colour black, with 

 shining resinous lustre ; streak and powder, black ; very brittle, but does 

 not dirty the fingers. H. about 2. In the flame of a spirit lamp it burns 

 to a white ash without altering its shape, and without giving off any odour 

 or smoke, but it will not burn if taken out of the flame. It appears to be 

 nearly pure carbon without any admixture of bitumen. Dr. Hector gives 

 the following composition for this mineral : — 



Fixed carbon . . . . . . . . 34-20 



Hydro-carbon . . . . . . . . 17-00 



Water 32.20 



Ash 16-60 



100-00 

 from which it appears to be a non-caking lignite approaching jet, burning 

 with difficulty, giving but little flame, and a white ash. 



Elaterite (Elastic Bitumen), CH 2 . — The occurrence of this mineral on 

 the coast of the North Island is mentioned by Dr. Hector (Jurors' Eep. N.Z. 

 Ex., 1865, p. 425) as easily impressed by the nail, and perfectly free from 

 any impurities. Prof. Liversidge (Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. x., p. 491) again 

 mentions its occurrence at Poverty Bay, the following being his description 

 of the specimen : — " The exterior surface is of a brown colour, within it is 

 black, burns with a luminous smoky flame, emitting a bituminous odour ; 

 leaves a small quantity of white ash ; breaks with conchoidal fracture ; very 

 brittle ; possesses bituminous odour." 



It has only up to the present time been found as pieces on the East 

 Coast of the North Island, and on the Island of Kawau, and may possibly 

 not be a natural product, but lost from-soine ship. 



Petroleum. — The first mention of this mineral oil is by Dr. Hector (Geol. 

 Eep., 1866-67, p. 4), where he describes its mode of occurrence at Tara- 

 naki, and he has also (Geol. Eep., 1873-74, p. xviii.) given a description of 

 the oil-springs at Poverty Bay. 



Mr. Skey has, in a paper on the mineral oils of New Zealand (Trans. 

 N.Z. Inst., vol. vi., p. 253), given a very good description of their physical 

 characters. 



1. Sugar Loaves, Taranahi. — A very remarkable oil having sp. gr. *960 

 to -964 at 60° Fahr., dirty green colour by reflected light; opaque, except in 

 thin films, when it has a deep red colour by transmitted light. At 60° 

 Fahr. is quite liquid, and though at lower temperature it has considerable 

 consistency, yet when reduced to 5° Fahr. it does not become solid. Has 



