ALMANDINE GARNETS FROM THE HAWKESBURY SANDSTONE. 47 



Digitalis type ; in addition to the genera already mentioned viz.: 

 Strophantus, Acokanthera and Carissa, there are at least two 

 others, viz., Tanginia and Nerium. 



To prepare the active principle, the following method proved 

 the best in my hands, although there is no doubt a certain amount 

 of decomposition of the glucoside from the use of sulphuretted 

 hydrogen. Boil the bark in water, decant the decoction, add some 

 lead acetate, boil for a minute and allow to stand for several hours, 

 filter, remove excess of lead with sulphuretted hydrogen, evaporate 

 at a gentle heat over a water bath to a honey consistence. The 

 material is thus left as a sticky yellow mass, which upon standing 

 some days becomes a magma of peculiar crystals. It can be 

 purified further by solution in absolute alcohol. Exposed to the 

 . air for a few days in a thin layer it becomes green in colour ; it 

 is deliquescent, does not polarise light and reduces an alkaline 

 solution of cupric oxide. Eungi of various kinds readily grow in 

 it. It is very soluble in water, less so in aqueous alcohol, slightly 

 soluble in absolute alcohol, and insoluble in ether and chloroform. 

 It gives no coloration with strong sulphuric acid, strikes a yellow 

 colour with ammonia. Gives slight precipitates with auric chloride 

 and tannic acid, none with mercuric chloride. 



On ALMANDINE GARNETS from the HAWKESBURY 



SANDSTONE at SYDNEY. 



By Henry G. Smith, Technological Museum, Sydney. 



[Read before the Royal Society of N. S. Wales, June 6, 1894.'] 



A short time back I had submitted to me for determination, some 

 small reddish particles contained in a conglomerate taken from a 

 quarry at Pyrmont. They were found to be garnets, and the 

 presence of gem-stones in so unlikely a locality as the neighbour- 



