^^4 Mines and Mineral Statistics, 
leisure hours. OP course to those miners who, being acquainted 
with the characteristics of gem stones in their rough state, could 
distinguish gems from other stones, tiie operation Avoiild be both 
simple and interesting, while those, who do not possess the 
requisite knowledge and experience to detect gems at sight, 
might collect all tlic transparent coloured stones and such white 
ones as present ])cculiar characteristics, and from time to time 
submit them to ])ersous competent to express an opinion upon 
them. If the alluvium is reduced by the puddling machine, and 
the sand and grarcl washed olf by iiieans of 'the cradle and tin- 
dish, the labour of searching for gems is so much lighter. In 
any case the searcli involves no expense, and so little labour as 
to fully justify the experiment on very many of our Gold Fields. 
I hat tlie same may be said of our Tin Fields is evident from 
the following extract from a report furnished by htr. Wilkinson 
to the Surveyor General in 1872 :■ — “ Sapphires of various colours 
are of common occurrence with the stream tin in Cope’s Creek. 
Two diamonds are said to liavc been found in the Tlritannia 
Mine, Darby’s Branch Creek, and sixty in one mine and forty in 
another mine on the Boro or IVfcad’s Creek.” ISTumcrous other 
instances are cited by Mr. ATilkinsou in his rej^ort herewith on 
the tin-bearing country of New England. 
The reason assigned for discontinuing the search for diamonds 
in the Bingera district is that though they are sufllciently 
numerous, only a very small proportion of them are large enough 
tor cutting, and there is great difficulty in finding a satisfactory 
market for^the small ones. It is quite possible that since diamonds 
too small tor the ])urposes of the jeweller arc heing applied to 
useful purposes, such as points of tools, tl'^c., such a Vlemand will 
be created ajid sucli a price obtained for them, as will render the 
working of the diamoudiferous deposits at Bingera and elsewhere 
in this Colony highly remunerative. It is unfortunate that fair 
samples of these diamonds could not be secured for the collcctiou 
of minerals now being made by this department, so that the 
attention of those who might become piu*obasers could be 
attracted. A jeweller in this city, who was largely interested 
ill the question, says some 2,000 carats have been sent Home. 
That the weight of the diamonds ranged from And of a carat to 
10 carats, and the value ranged troiii 3s. to £7 or dBS per carat. 
The following paper on the Bingera Diamond Field, by 
^ofessor Liversidge, I .C.8., F.G.8., University of Sydney, late 
University Demons! rator of Chemistry, Cambridge, was read 
before the Eoyal vSociety, 1st October, 1873 ; — 
In the follow itig note 1 purpose giving a few facts concerning the 
recently opened diamond workings in the neighbourhood of the 
town of Bingera. Bingera is situated some 100 miles north of 
