438 Transactions. — Geolor/y. 



the fact that its mode of occurrence and mineral character favour the 

 conclusion, I am inclined to think that this deposit of brown hematite 

 is nothing more than the gossan of some very large pyritous lode. It 

 has been estimated that 52,893,058 tons of the ore are exposed at the 

 surface. 



The other important deposit of brown hematite was discovered by Mr. 

 McKay in 1878, at Mount Peel in the Nelson district, and contains 

 54 per cent, of metallic iron. The ore, which is a dark-brown com- 

 pact one, is associated with fine-grained breccias, dark slates weathering 

 white, and heavy beds of compact blue crystalline limestone which overlie 

 the great series of breccia beds and conglomerates which form the western 

 part of the Mount Arthm- range. Where the specimens were obtained the 

 bed was about 50 feet thick, and isolated masses 10 feet to 15 feet across 

 were also observed ; while to the north of the Takaka a much greater 

 development takes place, and diggers report the ore in this locality to be 

 about a mile in width. 



Besides these important deposits many specimens have been received at 

 the Museum for identification or analysis, from the following localities : — 

 Pitt's Island ; Thames ; West Coast ; Makara, Wellington ; Kawau ; the 

 Bluff; Eaglan ; Kiwaka, Nelson; Big Muddy Creek, Manukau ; Whare- 

 kawau ; Wangaroa North ; Manawatu Gorge ; Paringa Eiver ; and Tawa 

 Flat ; and these have yielded from 29 per cent, to 60 per cent, metallic 

 iron. The details of these analyses are included in the Colonial Laboratoy 

 Pieports and the Manual of the Mineral Eesources before-mentioned. 



Chloropal, .^ Si^. — Professor Liversidge (Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. x., p. 

 497) mentions the occurrence of this mineral in New Zealand, presented to 

 the Otago Museum by Captain Fraser. The following is his description of the 

 specimen : — " Of a yellowish -green colour ; somewhat foliated cone-in-cone 

 structure ; sectile, soft ; easily polished, even by rubbing with the thumb ; 

 adheres slightly to the tongue : when immersed in water gives off air- 

 bubbles, and becomes translucent. Before the blowpipe does not decrepi- 

 tate ; blackens immediately, and fuses with difficulty on the edges, with 

 slight intumescence, to a black glassy slag." 



Siliceous Hematites. — Besides the foregoing ones, there are a few in- 

 stances of hematites occurring in which the percentage of silica is so high 

 as to make it advisable to class them under a different head. These ores 

 are generally of a rusty-brown colour, of varying degrees of hardness, and 

 seldom contain more than 20 per cent, metallic iron, and in some cases a 

 good deal less. 



Specimens have been received from the Dun Mountain, Nelson ; Paringa 

 River, Westland ; and the neighbourhood of Wellington. 



