Akt. XIX. — The Tripolite Deposits of Lilicur. 

 A Monograph, by F. M. Krause, F.G.S. 



[Read 9th December, 1886.] 



Although the occurrence of randanite in the neighbour- 

 hood of Talbot was made known through hand specimens 

 more than twenty years ago, there has been hitherto a 

 seemingly insurmountable difficulty in fixing the precise 

 locality, while no information whatever could be obtained 

 respecting the extent and mode of occurrence of the deposit. 

 Recently some fresh discoveries were announced, and within 

 the last month (September, 1886) samples have been sent to 

 the School of Mines^ Ballarat, from four or five difierent 

 places, described as being situate between Clunes and 

 Eddington. As the several specimens bore in their com- 

 position and structure a marked resemblance to each other, 

 the suggestion was hazarded that a connected seam of this 

 mineral would probably be found to spread from Stony 

 Creek to the Loddon — a meridianal distance of upwards of 

 twenty-six miles. Naturally, such an extent would bespeak 

 for the deposit a marine origin, an assumption which is, 

 however, contradicted by the otherwise well-understood 

 physiography of the district. A closer examination of the 

 actual features in connection with the occurrence of these 

 randanite beds seemed to me the more desirable^ as, apart 

 from its geological aspect, the question has a not-unimpor- 

 tant practical bearing from the economic value attaching to 

 the material itself 



The tract of country selected by me for examination lies 

 between the village of Lilicur, on the Bet Bet Creek, and the 

 western watershed of the Daisy Hill Creek, five miles 

 westerly of Amherst, and is particularly favourably con- 

 ditioned by reason of the numerous sections, both natural 

 and artificial, which it affords. 



For the better understanding of the local conditions under 

 which the randanite deposits were formed, and before 

 entering into a description of the actual features observed, 

 it will be well, perhaps, to state briefiy what is known of 



