Mines and Mineral Statistics. 
205 
Several collections of New Guinea rocks have been sent to me ; 
but although it was asserted strenouslj that gold was found in 
them in the district visited by H.M.y. “ Basilisk,” I liavo not 
been able to recognise the existence of any auriferous matrix, 
though it is well-known that alluvial gold was discovered during the 
visit of II.M.S. “ Rattlesnake ” on the coast at the other side of 
the Island. I find, however, that nodules of excellent hcTmatite 
occur at New Harbour about 100 feet above the sea. AV^e may 
hope for satisfactory additions to our knowledge of that great 
Island from the results of the Expedition so nobly undertaken 
by Mr. Macleay. 
In 1870 I added a remark or two about the discovery of a 
living Ceratodus in the waters of Queensland in the preceding 
year; the only previousl}'- known existence of the genus being 
the teeth found in Triassic European rocks to which that name 
was given. 
This was an interesting addition to the living Trigonia, the 
Cestracion, the Terebratula, <fec., of Axistralia, which connect the 
present period with the forms of life once held to be extinct. 
Inquiries respecting this curious fish have resxilted in the dis- 
covery of other species than that first found (Ceratodus Forsteri) 
and what is more extraordinary, fosilized teeth, of which I was 
shown examples by Professor Wyville Thomson Avho found them 
in an excursion purposely undertaken in search of the fish during 
the stay of II.M.S. “Challenger” in Port Jackson. 
Since the first description of the fish hy Air. Krcfft, Dr. 
Gunther, E.R.S., lias published a valuable “ Description of Cera- 
todus, a genus of Ganoid Fishes recently discovered in rivers of 
Queensland, Austndia,” in the Phi!. Transactions (part II. 1S71). 
The result is that Ixoth Agassiz aud Pander liad from teeth found in 
the Lias and Trias of Europe come to conclusions which the living 
Ceratodus fully justifies. Dr. Oldham also had reported Ccrato- 
dus teeth from* Maledi, south of Nagpur, in India. Australia 
in this instance precedes India. IIxo fisli turns out to be allied 
to Lepidosiren, and its habits are amphibian, feeding on grasses 
and weeds in fresh water. 
Dr. Giintlier goes into a most elaborate and minute examina- 
tion of the anatomy of all parts of the fish and a comparison 
with other fishes of the same and dilFerent tyj)es. He sums nj) 
thus; — “The Dijnious type is ropreseuted iu the Devonian and 
Carboniferoxis epoclis liy several genera Cheivodifs^ 
Concltodiis^ FhoHevopJeur'Oii ') then lost down to the irias and 
Dias, where the scanty remain.s of a distinct genus, Ceratodus, testily 
to its presence ; no further trace oi' it has been found until the 
present period, where it re-nppears in three genera, one of whieli is 
identical with ihat of the jMesozoic era. Now, at present, scarcely 
any zoologist will deny that there must have been a contmuily 
