170 



society, but the former only and exclusively on granite noil 

 under Melaleuca uncinata. 



Schasnus Tepperi, F. v. M., is a new species, occupying rocky 

 dry hillsides and summits, chiefly in the neighbourhood of 

 granite, where it flourishes best. 



Cheilanthes distans, R.Br., has only been found in one -\,<>i 

 of a few yards square growing on a metamorphosed hornblendic 

 schist, altered by contact with granite into a jaspery, green 

 and white banded stone. 



GEOLOGY. 



Rock formations and minerals in the vicinity of Peake, C.A., 

 being a report by Professor E. Tate on specimens for- 

 warded by Mr. J. Chandler. 



Pre-Silurian. — The hill country is constituted principally 

 of micaceous and hornblendic slates, but talcose slate also occurs, 

 and diorite is abundant. The quartz veins in these metamorphic 

 rocks yield an abundance of micaceous iron-ore, and specimens 

 of calcite with copper pyrites and purple copper and green 

 carbonate of copper have been obtained from them. 



Jurassic. — A dense gray earthy fossiliferous limestone from 

 Peake contains the following species of fossils, but in a bad 

 state of preservation : — Monotis BarJcyli, Moore ; Cytherea 

 ClarJcei, Moore ; Pleuromya sp. ; Lingula sp. 



A similar fossiliferous rock is reported by Mr. Chandler, on 

 the information of Mr. Cameron, the manager on Mr. A. B. 

 Murray's run at Cootanoorina, 30 or 40 miles west from 

 Peake, to have been discovered in that place in a well 30 feet 

 deep on the banks of the Peake Creek. " The rock is a mass 

 of fossilised mussel shells, which are about the size of a man's 

 hands closed and pressed together." — J. C. The fossils here 

 referred to are casts of Cytherea Clarkei. Mr. E. Beetson 

 communicates fossils obtained by him at the foot of Mount 

 Margaret. They are Belemnites sp., Dentaluim sp., Chione sp., 

 and a small compressed, sub-equilateral Pleuromya. He assures 

 me that the Jurassic rocks occupy the low country, and that 

 the " spring-mounds " are based upon them. 



Desert Sakd stoke. — Among the specimens probably derived 

 from beds of this age are : — 



Brown hydrous oxide of -iron-boxes, " found on the stony 

 ridges eight miles north of Peake, under Mount Kingston 

 Eange ; no springs in immediate vicinity." Natural marbles or 

 stone bullets, which are terms that may appropriately be applied 

 to spherical masses of quartzose sand cemented by brown 



