Cox. — On the Mineralogy of New Zealand. 393 



Augite, B Si = (Ca, Mg, Fe) Si. — This mineral enters into the composi- 

 tion of all our basalts, dolerites, anamesites, trachydolerites, diabases, and 

 melaphyres. Isolated crystals are rare, but there is a specimen in the 

 collection of the Colonial Museum, of porphyritic diabase from Nelson, in 

 which dark-green monoclinic crystals of augite are well developed, some of 

 them being half an inch long. No macles are seen in this specimen. 



It is mentioned by Dr. Hector in the basalts around Dunedin (Jurors' 

 Eep. N.Z. Ex., 1865, pp. 266, 438), in basalt from the Snares, and in 

 dolerite from Antipodes Island (Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. ii., p. 179), and in 

 the dolerites and basalts of the Auckland Islands (Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. ii., 

 p. 183) ; by Dr. v. Haast in trachydolerites and as fine twin crystals im- 

 bedded in agglomeratic tufa, Banks Peninsula (Jurors' Kep. N.Z. Ex., 

 1865, p. 257), in concretions in basaltic rocks of Chatham Islands (Trans. 

 N.Z. Inst., vol. i., p. 180), and in basalts of Banks Peninsula (Trans. 

 N.Z. Inst., vol. xi., p. 499) ; and by E. Daintree, Esq., F.G.S., in dolerite 

 from the Selwyn Eiver, Snowy Peak Eange, Hororata District, Flagstaff 

 Hill basin and Acheron section. 



Asbestos. — The occurrence of this mineral at Milford Sound is men- 

 tioned by Dr. Hector (Jurors' Eep. N.Z. Ex., 1865, p. 266), and the late 

 Mr. E. H. Davis records it from Dun Mountain (Geol. Eep., 1870-71, 

 p. 112). There are several specimens in the collection of the Colonial 

 Museum, but none of them possess that flexibility and readiness to separate 

 into fibres without which the mineral is of but little value. The best 

 sample was collected from Collingwood by Dr. Hector ; it is of a pale green 

 colour and fibrous. It occurs associated with the steatites there. 



Tachylite, J^l Si 2 + 3 (Fe, Ca, Mg, Mn, Na, K) Si.— The occurrence of 

 this mineral on the sides of fissures in the volcanic rocks of Banks Penin- 

 sula, where trachytic dykes have intruded, is mentioned by Dr. v. Haast 

 (Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. xi., p. 503). 



Hornblende, E Si. — Is of very common occurrence in New Zealand as 

 a constituent of the syenites, trachytes and diorites which abound, and also 

 in certain hornblendic schists and gneiss which are met with in the north- 

 western part of the South Island, and again at the Bluff, Southland. It is 

 mentioned by Dr. v. Hochstetter (New Zealand, 1863, Eng. ed., p. 471) as 

 a blackish-green hornblende in the syenite of the boulder-bank, Nelson ; 

 by Dr. Hector as veins in syenitic and older trap-rocks in Milford Sound 

 (Jurors' Eep. N.Z. Ex., 1865, pp. 267, 438), in the trachyte of the Sugar 

 Loaves, Taranaki (Geol. Eep,, 1866-67, p. 8), as a hornblende rock in the 

 Auckland Islands and Euapuke (Trans. N. Z. Inst., vol. ii., pp. 183, 185), 

 and in diorite on Great Barrier Island (Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. ii., p. 375) ; 

 by Dr. v. Haast, in basaltic and doleritic rocks at Banks Peninsula, Malvern 



