338 Canadian Record. of Science. 



ments would result in the further intersection of this part 

 of the district by the numerous dykes, the decomposed 

 remains of which are now to be seen ramifying through 

 the deposit. Those gradual chemical interchanges would 

 take place which resulted in the alteration of the shattered 

 country rock, and its becoming a portion of the gangue 

 enclosing the auriferous material, which was then or at a 

 later time, deposited. In process of time, sub-aerial 

 denudation removed the sandstone which now is only to 

 be seen on the further summits of the neighboring hills. 

 Atmospheric agency continued to carve away the less 

 siliceous and less porous portions of the country surround- 

 ing the deposit, until Mount Morgan, owing to the 

 pervious quartzose nature of its crest, remained as a low hill 

 in an undulating country." 



Which of these views is correct, further developments 

 of the property will probably decide. 



The character of the Mount Morgan gold itself is also 

 highly interesting. Loch, in his work on gold, published 

 in 1882, says, " no gold has yet been found in nature 

 unalloyed with silver," but the gold which occurs so 

 abundantly in this great deposit is almost free from 

 silver, assaying about 99.7 per cent, of gold, the rest 

 consisting of copper with a trace of iron ; the gold being, 

 it is believed, the purest native gold hitherto found. 



Argon. 

 The announcement of the probable existence of a new element in the 

 atmosphere, made by Lord Rayleigh and Professor Ramsay at the 

 meeting of the British Association last summer, aroused the profound 

 attention of the scientific world. A large number of elements have 

 been discovered in the last quarter of a century, but all of them are 

 metallic substances which occur in minute quantities in rare minerals. 

 The latest addition to the list of non-metallic elements was bromin, 

 discovered nearly seventy years ago, and the existence of an undis- 

 covered element belonging to this group did not appear probable. 

 Still less likely did it seem that such an element could be present in 

 the atmosphere. Our knowledge of the air was satisfactory and 

 complete. Innumerable analyses had established the facts in regard 



