40 D. A. PORTER. 



The crystals exhibit innumerable cross-fractures, and when 

 removed from the matrix usually break up in short pieces ; none 

 of the prisms exceed T V inches in diameter, while some are as thin 

 as horse-hairs. The thin crystals transmit light, and appear of a 

 clove-colour, with a slight tinge of green. The larger crystals are 

 quite black and opaque. 



In the granite rocks in river-bed close by, are exhibited sections 

 of globular segregations, in which the tourmaline occurs in minute 

 prisms associated with crystalline grains and plates of quartz and 

 orthoclase. The nodules are rendered conspicuous through being 

 much darker in colour than the containing rock. The sections 

 of nodules are seldom more than four or five inches in diameter. 



The schorl rocks before mentioned, are outcropping on the flat 

 ground at the base of the tourmaline riclge, some of these masses 

 would exceed half a ton in weight. 



Garnet. 



Garnets occur loose in the surface soil of a small isolated ridge 

 of basalt, which is close to the main road from Tarn worth to 

 Bingara, and is distant about fifteen miles from the latter named 

 place. Several parties have at various times been prospecting 

 the ground, and collecting the stones, under the impression that 

 they were spinels, and of considerable value. In a parcel of 

 about two hundred of these stones which I was shown, I found 

 one that I estimated at four carats, some few others would be 

 about two carats, while the general average of the whole parcel 

 would be about one-quarter carat. 



No trace of crystalline form was observed on any of the stones. 

 The surfaces have a pitted or corroded appearance, and many of 

 them are evidently not water worn, so that they are probably 

 amorphous, and, I believe, are of the iron-alumina variety 

 (almandite), although none of the stones show any trace of the 

 purple colour which is so noticeable in the Almandine garnets 

 lately discovered in Western Australia at Alice Springs. 



The Bingara stones are of a pale to deep wine colour, passing 

 to clear bright red in some specimens. When cut and polished 



