Mines and Mineral Statistics. 
M7 
Avitli t])is inartle tlio floor of the great hall of the Sydney Uni- 
versity. For such purposes it could not be excelled, as it is both 
hard and tough, and taking a good polisli it would be useful also for 
mantelpieces and other plain decorative work. I'he Mnrulaii 
marble is chielly of a dark colour, sem dimes black ; that from 
Cow Flat varying from grey to white. 
The specimens of marble which I lately obtained from tlie 
Limestone Ecserve, near Wallerawang, are of several varieties of 
good colours. Tliis marble dresses well, is cajuible of a high 
polish (as may be seen in the samples exhibited), and can be 
obtained in blocks of any required size and quantitv. It is a veiw 
pure limestone, and as it occurs only about 7 miles from the 
‘Wallerawang Eailway Station, distniit frojn Sydney 105 miles, I 
believe that it will soon be a source of large supply for the metro- 
politan market. 
The large polished slabs of marble from Tarrabandriq near 
Tumiit, collected by Mr. E. A, Fitzgerald, are of rich colour, but 
the stone cannot be easily dressed on account of its “rc-edy” 
texture. 
A polished specimen of fine “ Sienna marhlc,” from 'No. G 
Island, off the Queensland Coast, I have also placed in the collec- 
tion. Should it occur in quantity, and he easily obtained, at no 
distant day there will be a ready demand for it in Sydne 3 \ 
The beautifully crystallized specimen of Calcife exhibited, and 
the stalactitic limestone, were obtained from the Einda or Fish 
Eiver Caves, by the Hon. John Lucas, Minister for Mines. 
Miscella:xeous. 
Amongst the miscellaneous exhibits is some excellent fireclay 
shale, from the Lithgow Talley Iron Smeltiug Company’s pro- 
perty, together with fire-bricks manufactured from it. Several 
such beds of fireclay occur througliout the upper coal measures 
I of the BoAvenfels and Mallerawang District. It will be of much 
value for the smelting works, I have also shown a sample of 
surface clay, from which the fire-bricks used in the furnaces of 
the Eskbank Copper Smelting Works are made. 
Fluorspar, from How’s Creek, near Wallerawang, is exhibited. 
It was lately discovered by me when engaged in the geological 
survey of that district, and occurs in small veins traversing a bed 
j of felspathic rock 30 feet wide. Should it he foiind in greater 
j quantity, it will be valuable as a flux for use in the reduction of 
copper ores. 
The remarkably fine specimens of Dendrites — those moss-like 
forms of manganese oxide, often mistaken for vegetable impres- 
sions — are from the granite formation on Mr. J. Dobbie’s pro- 
perty, Hilton, near Mount Lambie. 
