NOTES AND QUERIES. 
153 
the old crystalline schists and quartz-rocks of Donegal are worked out, uo man 
can predicate, probably something much older than all these. 
Major Austin's labours, carried on with zealous perseverance long since, 
well deserve recognition, and wc are glad to see him, after years of silence, 
calling up old memories of hard working days. He was the discoverer of these 
fossils, though by mistake only alluded to iu one or two places in Portloek's 
great work; and, on dilTereut grounds from those on which he founds his 
opinion, I share it as to the seniority of these particular shales, which appear 
to be rich in peculiar species, and are wortiiy further search. 
To the other charge of error 1 might, I think, ])ut in a demurrer, and plead 
the statute of limitations, for my notice of the new Pteraspis was published ia 
the " Annals of Natural History," last J uly. With every disposition to be 
just to our kind correspondents, it is sometimes difficult, when geologists work 
m companjr, to assign to each person the due credit for their discoveries of new 
or rare forms. In the present case I need only say that I received the speci- 
men from Mr. Lightbody, the well known geologist of Ludlow, as found at the 
famous quaiTy which may almost be said to be the property of the Ludlow 
geologists, so largely have they worked out its precious contents. The speci- 
men, as I understand, was not only found, but its importance was fully recog- 
nized by ^Ir. Lee, then in company with my friend ; and this gentleman, since 
the pubLicatiou of my short paper, has most kindly presented the specimen to 
the Museum iu Jermyu Street. I trust he will accept my apology for the in- 
advertence, which I am certain was not the fault of my friend Mr. Lightbody, 
but my own. — I am, sir, yours obediently, J. W. Salter. ISth February. 
Note on Gold-dkifts at B.vllaarat. — Dear Slr, — Having been for 
tM"0 and a-half years a " wet-digger" iu Victoria, I read with much interest the 
chapter on gold, in the last edition of Sir R. Murchison's " Siluria." As I am 
not wholly satisfied with aU that is therein set forth, perhaps you may deem 
the few facts I offer sufiiciently interesting to merit a place iu your valuable 
periodical. 
Mr. Alfred Selvpyn, the Ooloiiial Geologist of Victoria, is represented in 
"Siluria," p. 492, as havmg "recognized iu Victoria gold-bearing superficial 
drifts of three distinct stages, lying above each other; the lowest or oldest of 
them containing the remains of wood and seed-vessels, differing little from the 
1 (resent vegetation. That such is the case does not, I believe, hold good of the 
oeality in which I worked, as will be apparent from the foUowmg : — 
In the beginning of the year 1855, 1 and others commenced sinking in Spring 
GuUy, Creswick Creek, about midway between Ballaarat and the Clunes quartz- 
mining-field. About fifteen feet down we came upon a black stratum of drift, 
about twelve feet thick, composed of very fine mud and sand, with embedded 
leaves, cones, and blackeneci wood, very loose and difficult to sink through. 
Under that we had a stratum, about a foot thick, of reddish clay, with 
boulders, the "wash-dirt" of the miners, in which the gold was "honey- 
combed." In driving across the gully the red " wash-dirt" thinned out very 
rapidly, and disappeared, giving place to the black drift, which here contained 
boulders and gold : the gold, however, was extremely waterworn, quite dif- 
ferent to that obtained in the red drift. Others who sunk nearer the side of 
the gully had no black drift in sinking, but in driving across the guEy invari- 
ably struck the black drift, with tliera presenting the same features as with us. 
When the gully was abandoned, the dark run of drift might be tolerably cor- 
rectly followed by the black heaps at the mouths of the old holes, presenting 
the appearance in its winding of a watercourse having reddish banks. 
Nearly a mile off is what was the " black lead," so called from the prevailing 
coloui- of the dirt, and running from a southerly direction towards the north. 
While working in or near the nuddle of the lead I found nothing contrary to 
VOL. III. U 
