Cox. — On the Mineralogy of New Zealand. 429 



Antimony. 



This metal has been found in New Zealand in the form of Stibnite, 

 which mineral has a pretty wide distribution, and is associated with Kermes 

 and Cervanite, as products of decomposition or change. It has also been 

 found as Bournonite (a mineral which more properly belongs to the lead ores), 

 in the Rolling Eiver, Wangapeka, and again as a constituent of Eichmondite, 

 a form of Tetrahedrite, which occurs at the Richmond Hill Mine, Collingwood. 



Stibnite, Sfe'". — The first mention of the occurrence of this mineral 

 in New Zealand is by Dr. Hector (Jurors' Rep. N.Z. Ex., p. 265). 

 The specimen was from the Arrow River, and was exhibited in the 

 Otago geological survey collection at the Dunedin Exhibition. In 1867, 

 Captain Hutton in his report on Thames goldfield, p. 9, published in 

 the Geological Reports for that year, mentions the occurrence of crystals of 

 Stibnite more than an inch long imbedded in tufa in one of the claims up 

 the Waiotahi Creek, and Professor Liversidge (Trans. N.Z. Inst. vol. x., 

 p. 502) describes a specimen of the same mineral from the Union Jack 

 Reef, MuUocky Gully. Besides these, specimens of Stibnite have been for- 

 warded to the Museum from time to time from Coromandel ; Kaueranga ; 

 Napier; Queen Charlotte Sound; Criterion Claim, Thames; Tararu Creek; 

 Greymouth ; Pakaraka, Bay of Islands ; Green Island, Otago ; Shield's 

 Reef, Reefton ; Kelly's Reef ; Canoe Creek ; Collingwood ; Inangahua ; 

 Westport ; Pelorus Sound ; Marlborough ; Hokitika ; Paparoa Range, 

 Greymouth ; Langdon's Reef, Greymouth ; Dunedin ; and Featherston ; 

 some by officers of the Geological Survey, and others by contributors whose 

 names will be found in the Colonial Museum and Laboratory Reports. In 

 describing the modes of occurrence of Stibnite, a natural subdivision presents 

 itself between the crystalline and massive varieties. 



Crystallized varieties. — We have specimens in the Colonial Museum of 

 some fine interlacing crystals of Stibnite from Tararu Creek, where they 

 occur as an accessory mineral in the auriferous reefs. Some specimens of 

 these are very fine and are associated with crystallized quartz. From 

 Kaueranga (Shortland), there is a very fine specimen of crystallized 

 Stibnite, in which the crystals interlace in a most characteristic manner. 

 From the Golden Crown Claim, Thames, there is a group of crystals 

 of large size, the longest one measuring about 4 inches along its prin- 

 cipal axis. The only forms of crystals which are represented from any 

 of these localities are prismatic, consisting of the rhombic prism ooP. 

 and the brachy-pinacoid, ooPoo ; with pyramidal ends composed of the 

 pyramid P. and several brachy-pyramids, mPn, which give the ends a 

 rounded appearance and are not sufficiently defined for measurement. All 

 these crystals are deeply striated vertically. 



