In widely different types of Australian soils birnessite and lithiophorite appear to be the common forms of occurrence of mineralized manganese. These mineral forms were dissolved out of the soil by hydrogen peroxide acidified to pH 3 with nitric acid and analyses of the extracts were made. It was found that the concentration of trace elements is generally quite high in these minerals. In particular, most of the soil cobalt (average 79%) was contained in or associated with these minerals where they were present.