326 
the whole of South Australia and throughout Western Australia, south of 
the South Tropic. Northerly and easterly they appear to have been 
sparsely scattered from their apparent centre of distribution. The west¬ 
ward trend of the australites was probably governed by the direction of 
the air currents in the higher altitudes. 
All the data so far obtained relating to the distribution of australites 
appear to point to the volcanic region of Victoria as the focus from which 
they have been distributed. 
Resemblance in Tektites. 
Where not abraded or recently flaked, the surfaces of australites are 
pitted in a peculiar manner. On comparing these pittings with the surface 
of billitonites, there is an unmistakable resemblance. Not only are the 
small vesicular pittings conspicuous in each, but the flow structure is also 
present in them both. Still further, the curious circular grooves and 
vermicular groovings so well marked on billitonites are imitated on 
australites also. 
It is particularly to be noted that the pittings of australites occur not 
only on what were possibly original surfaces, but also on decidedly 
fractured surfaces that have since been weathered. 
The surface pittings on australites and billitonites minutely resemble 
such as occur on a piece of obsidian obtained on the Great Barrier Island, 
New Zealand, and also resemble the pittings on moldavites from Moravia 
and other places in Bohemia, kindly sent me by Dr. Yezak, of Vienna. 
Some of these latter show flow structure as well as fine pittings. 
On a moldavite from an ashbed of Mount Tairua, North Island of New 
Zealand, the surface pittings are of a peculiar character, and they are 
remarkably like surface markings on the Meredith tachylite. 
The probabilities are that all these are products of volcanic activity that 
have been formed under differing conditions. In Bulletin 27 an analysis 
is given of what is considered to be marekanite, fragmentary obsidian 
ejected from a volcano. These obsidian fragments are found in an ashbed 
at the head of the Tairua River, New Zealand, and have evidently been 
ejected from a volcano. 
In New Guinea, obsidian is abundant, as shown by samples sent to me 
by R. A. Vivian, Esq., Samarai. 
U-7-I3-1 
PRESENTED 
6 0 £01921 
lly Authority : Albert J. Mullett, Government Printer, Melbourne. 
