Cox, — On the Mineralogy of New Zealand. 435 



Mr. Skey lias also examined many of our wads for Cobalt, but lias only 

 recognized that metal in a bog ore from Eapaka, Bay of Islands, where, 

 however, it only occm-red in minute quantities (13th Mus. and Lab. Eept., p. 

 27), and I also found traces of the mineral in some of the Kawau manganese 

 ores (14th Lab. Eept., p. 38). Hitherto ores of this metal have not been 

 found in New Zealand in payable quantities. 



Nickel. 



This metal while being somewhat widely distributed in New Zealand, 

 has not hitherto been found under circumstances which would render its 

 extraction remunerative. 



Pimelite, 2 Xl Si + 3 Mg Si + 10 H, in which 3 per cent, of nickel oxide 

 is known to occur, was first discovered in New Zealand by Dr. Haast, filling 

 cavities in the amygdaloidal rocks of the Malvern and Clent Hills, and 

 is mentioned in the Jurors' Eep. N.Z. Ex., 1865, p. 257. I cannot find 

 any analysis of these specimens, so am unable to quote the percentage of 

 Nickel present in them. 



TroilUe or Pyrrhotine (magnetic pyrites), Fe'. — This mineral, which is an 

 inferior sulphide of iron, usually contains as a constituent portion of it both 

 copper and nickel, and it is from the nickeliferous varieties of this mineral 

 that the larger proportion of our commercial nickel is derived. I first dis- 

 covered this mineral in January, 1876, in the river-beds south of Mount 

 Cook on the West Coast of the South Island, and several specimens which I 

 brought from localities some distance apart were found by Mr. Skey to con- 

 tain Nickel although not in payable quantities. Specimens were subsequently 

 forwarded from the Paringa Eiver in the same district by Messrs. Thos. 

 "Ward and Co. 



Pyrrhotine was again noticed in a series of specimens forwarded by Mr. 

 W. Docherty, from Dusky Sound, in 1877, where it occurs in association 

 with copper pyrites. Several of these specimens were tested for Nickel, 

 in all of which it was shown to occur, but only in small quantities, the 

 largest yield of this metal obtained being -68 per cent., a return far too low 

 to allow of remunerative extraction. 



During the same year Mr. H. Washbourn forwarded a specimen of Pyr- 

 rhotine from Collingwood, where it occurs in a reef on the mineral lease of 

 the Eichmond Hill Silver Mining Company, and when examined for Nickel 

 it yielded 2-98 per cent, of this metal, and traces of Cobalt. As Nickel 

 is extracted from this ore in New Jersey, U.S., when only 3 per cent, is 

 present, this should prove payable if the lode is continuous and sufficiently 

 large. 



Silicate of Nickel. — In the Trans. N.Z, Inst,, vol. x., p. 454, Mr. J. A. 

 Pond mentions the occurrence of Nickel in several specimens from different 

 localities in the Auckland district, which are as follow ; 



