350 Correspondence. 



not now exist in our island (Samoa), nor, so far as I can learn, in, 

 any of the other groups in the Pacific. I have procured all the 

 Samoan birds except the Manu-Mea (Gnathodon), which has 

 become all but extinct since the introduction of cats into the 

 islands. I used every effort to get a specimen, but did not succeed. 

 During a residence of eighteen years on the islands, I have only 

 seen two Manu-meas." 



■-' At all the islands east of Samoa very few birds are to be found, 

 so that the Navigators' form quite a contrast. The missionary at. 

 the Harvey group supposes that the scarcity of birds there is 

 occasioned from the destruction of their food by the frequent and 

 dreadful hurricanes which they have." 

 Sydney, August 13, 1854. 



Natal Geology. Extract of Letter from Dr P. C. Suther- 

 land to the late Professor E. Forbes, dated 5th June 1854. 



" I send some specimens of copper ore from this colony. They 

 occur between the junction of highly- contorted and almost verti- 

 cally placed strata of the crystalline metamorphic rocks, with beds 

 of non-fossiliferous sandstone, which not unfrequently pass into 

 conglomerate on the one side and into shale on the other. The 

 sandstone strata are nearly 1000 feet thick, are very rarely changed 

 more than 10° to 15° from the horizontal line, and are frequent- 

 ly interstratified with beds of greenstone and basalt and other 

 rocks of the trap series, which are often found decomposed into a 

 grayish-yellow clay. In nearly the same geological position with 

 the copper ore, masses of a species of talcose rock occur, and are 

 found, although not with the copper, passing into rocks of a more 

 steatose character, which in one or two instances showed an 

 approach to a slightly fibrous structure, not unlike Asbestus. I 

 send also specimens which appear to be olivine, from the same 

 locality as the copper ore, but not near the gneiss. The presence 

 of olivine among the granites found here may perhaps lead to 

 giving it a place among rocks esteemed to be of earlier date than 

 those which disturb the sandstone and other strata. It is very 

 abundant among the gneiss strata of this colony. By a rough 

 analysis of the copper ore, I found that some of the average speci- 

 mens yielded 15 per cent, of the green carbonate (Malachite), or 8 

 per cent, of pure copper. ***** 



" I send also specimens of calcareous nodules, which are found 

 in many parts of Natal, and not unfrequently in sufficient quan- 

 tity to be collected and burnt into lime. As they are not found 

 except in the soil, which appears to have resulted from the decom- 

 position of erupted rocks, it is probable they may be the nodules 



