290 EEPOETS FEOM THE SECTIONS. 



WEDNESDAY, 13 SEPTEMBER, 1876. 



Mr. M'CuTCHEON in the Chair. 



Mr. Bensusan exhibited specimens of native bismuth from 

 !New England ; a mineral from near Kockhampton containing 

 gold, nickel, and copper ; an earthy mineral containing cobalt ; 

 elaterite from near ^attai ; also carbonate and native copper. 

 He also read his paper on recent copper-extracting processes, 

 which was afterwards read before the Society. 



WEDNESDAY, 8 NOVEMBER, 1876. 



Peopessoe Liteesidge in the Chair: 



Mr. Sleep exhibited specimens of Aucyloceras gigas and 

 Scaphites, from the Elinders Eiver, Queensland. 



Peofessoe Ltveesidge laid on the table specimens of tin ore in 

 a "cement" matrix sent to him by Mr. Cadell, from Vegetable 

 Creek, New England, accompanied by a letter, in which Mr. 

 Cadell said, '"'I think the difterence between 'black' and 'ruby ' 

 tin ore can now be accounted for, the discovery having been made 

 accidentally on our claim. Ton are aware that all our deep lead 

 carries black tin, the surface claims only producing ' ruby.' Over 

 some portions of our deposit (deep lead) we have found quantities 

 of ore cemented into one compact mass by oxide of iron. This 

 Mr. O'Daly tried to reduce by burning, and while hot throwing cold 

 water over the heap thus burnt. A large quantity became in 

 this way pulverized, but the process changes the ' black ' into 

 * ruby ' tin. I send you specimens showing the cemented deposit 

 before and after being calcined." The Chairman (Peoe. Livee- 

 sidge) pointed out that there were many essential differences 

 between the more or less transparent native "ruby" tin and the 

 brick-coloured calcined mineral. The members present, after 

 examining the specimens, came to the conclusion that the red 

 colour produced was not a conversion of "black" into true 

 "ruby" tin, but merely the change of the ferrous oxide present 

 into anhydrous ferric oxide. 



Mr. DixOTf laid on the table a specimen of a white earthy 

 mineral sent to him by Mr. Chambers, of Maitland, who informed 

 him that it occurred in a large bed on the side of a deep gully 

 near the head of the Manilla Eiver, JSfew South Wales, and that 

 in it a small cave had been excavated, partly by the action of the 

 weather, partly by kangaroos, wallaroos, and wallabies, who were 

 continually licking it. On these animals the mineral evidently 

 excited a purgative action. This action, Mr. Dixon considers, 



