490 Transactions, — GeoJor/ij. 



Art. LXXVII. — Nutes on some of the New Zealand Minerals helomjing to 

 the Otago Museum, Dunedin.''' By A. Liversidge, Professor in the 

 University of Sydney ; communicated by Professor Hutton. 

 [Read before the Otago Institute, 23rd October, 1877.] 

 Graphite. ^ — Nelson. 

 Compact, with lamellar and petaloidal structure ; requires purification 

 to render it of commercial value. 



Graphite. — Fews Creek ; Wakatipu. 

 Lamellar structure, impure, much contaminated with sesquioxide of 

 iron, which is probably derived from the decomposition of iron pyrites. 



Grai)hite.\ — Dimstan, Otago. 

 Eather loose and friable ; impure. A sample from Clyde, Dunstau, was 

 analyzed by Mr. Skey, and gave the following results : — 



Water .. .. .. .. .. ..3-5 



Earthy matter .. .. .. .. .. 51-1 



Carbon . . . . . . . . . . . . 45-4 



100-0 (Skey). 



Retinite. § — Dunstan . 

 In massive more or less rounded lumps; colour, shades of brown, ochre, 

 and grey, which are often mingled in irregular wavy streaks ; the external 

 surface is somewhat rough and pitted ; breaks with a well-marked large 

 conchoidal fracture ; brittle ; burns readily, with a smoky luminous flame, 

 evolving a somewhat aromatic odour ; heated in a closed tube, fuses, gives 

 Oi^ white fumes and furnishes a yellow distillate ; blackens on the continued 



application of heat. 



Analysis. 



Carbon .. .. .. .. .. 75-979 



Hydrogen . . . . . . . . . . 11-512 



Oxygen .. .. .. .. .. 12-306 



Ash .. .. .. .. .. .. -203 



100-000 (Liversidge) 



* As in many instances these mineral specimens or other specimens from the same 

 localities have already been determined and reported on by the Geological Siirvey Depart- 

 ment of New Zealand, the previous reports are cited for convenience of reference. — -En. 

 t For analysis see Reports N.Z. Exh., 1865, p. 417. 

 I Eep. Col. Mus, and Lab., 1870, p. 14. § Eep. N.Z. Exh., 1868, p. 438, 



