241 
The beds are of various colours and exhibit great induration, in some 
cases being red jasper, black cherts and green vitreous cherts, containing 
disseminated pyrites and approaching chalcedony ini places. Less, indurated 
grey beds, showing manganese oxide on joint planes, were also noted. The 
strike of the beds is N. 40 deg. W., but no dips were obtainable. A green 
hornblendic dyke, containing calcite and finely disseminated pyrites, trends 
northward through allotment 23, and across the S.W. corner of allotment 
25, parish of Moorngag, cutting the jasper beds, and apparently accounting 
for the green colouration of the vitreous cherts,, which have chalcedonic 
veins along its course. I do not think the beds owe their induration to this 
dyke, which is only a few feet wide, and which, apart from making a slight 
alteration along its course, does not affect' the beds away from it. As the 
sketch plan indicates, large areas of Lower Devonian porphyries occur to 
the south-east, but apparently do not account for the induration of the chert 
beds. No fossils were obtained, but the lithological evidence points to their 
similarity to the cherts and jaspers at Heathcote, for hand specimens from 
Moorngiag can be well matched with the Heathcotian black cherts and red 
jaspers. The Dookie area of cherty rocks lies about 30 miles to the north¬ 
west of Moorngag, and the Mansfield cherts 20 miles to the south. 
Although no conclusive evidence in the shape of fossils, &c., can be 
obtained, I consider that for the present the beds may be classed as probably 
of Heathcotian age. I had neither the opportunity nor time to define the 
exact boundaries of these Tatong cherts and jaspers, so have marked on 
the plan an approximate boundary taking in the three localities already 
referred to. 
[Report sent in 6 th November, 1905.] 
REPORT ON LIGNITE DEPOSITS NEAR MAH AIK AH, COUNTY 
OF DELATITE, WITH PLAN (PLATE XXV.). 
By A. M. Howitt. 
The coal seam described in this report is situated on Thomas Facey’s 
allotment No. 107, parish of Whitfield South, formerly owned by D. 
Maroney. 
Locality No. i. 
The seam was found some years ago, whilst sinking for water near a 
spring, and here an oval-shaped prospecting hole has been sunk to a depth 
of 17 feet. 
I could not see the seam here, as the hole was full of water, but I care¬ 
fully examined the material taken out. This consists of ligneous clay, 
containing leaf fossils (similar to another outcrop which will be referred to 
later on), black ligneous sand, brown clay and the seams of lignite, com¬ 
posed of carbonized leaves, twigs and wood, containing iron pyrites on 
joint planes and in nodules. Mr. Wilkinson, who was present, and who 
was one of those last working in the lignite,. informed me that at about 
14 feet from the surface a thin layer, i-ioth inch to about 2 inches in the 
eastern side, was cut; then 1 ft. 6 in. of ligneous clay was passed through, 
and' the lower layer or seam of ligneous casing and lignite was exposed for 
over 2 feet, as now appears in the bottom. These ligneous clays, sands 
and lignite dip under the basalt, which caps the ridge, and are resting on 
sandstones of Lower Carboniferous age. 
