'^^y'l Excursion to the Berwick Quarry. 5 



Bosistooides, Deane ; L. dubia, Deane ; L. perspicua, Deane ; 

 Fagus Luehmanni, Deane ; F. Muelleri, Ettingshausen ; F., cf. 

 Risdoniana, Ettingshausen ; F. (?) sp. nov. ; cf. Poacites aus- 

 tralis, Ettingshausen ; also rhizomes and stems, seeds (Carpo- 

 hthes, spp.), and fragments of (?) conifers. Mr. Searle obtained 

 a particularly line specimen in the end stem of a conifer. — 

 R. A. Keble. 



EXCURSION TO PAR WAN AND COIMADAI. 



A PARTY of six took part in the Parwan to Coimadai outing on 

 Saturday, 25th March. Shortly after arriving at Parwan, 

 somewhat behind schedule time, owing to the Ballarat railway 

 picnic traffic, the party set out for the entrance to the basaltic 

 caves, situated about half a mile, in a southerly direction, 

 from the railway station. The narrow aperture whereby access 

 to the underground chambers is gained occupies the centre 

 of a small basin-shaped depression that might be easily over- 

 looked, even by one in quest of the opening. The prevaihng 

 surface formation is Newer Basalt, which at no great distance 

 to the south and west is overlaid by Tertiary grits. Descending 

 vertically for about 12 feet one finds himself on a pile of 

 broken basalt that at one time formed the plug of the aperture. 

 A longitudinal opening, ha\nng an east and west extension, 

 is at once noted. A rough ramp leads westwards, and down- 

 wards into an uneven-floored chamber, situated some 15 or 

 18 feet below the surface. The chamber is circumscribed, and 

 on the occasion of our visit its walls and roof were invested by 

 glistening beads of moisture. From the eastern extremity of 

 the opening one turns north, and on clambering over a block 

 of basalt finds himself in a long, horseshoe -shaped chamber, 

 whose walls and roof consist of a very dense and sonorous 

 basalt. The duration of our stay in the subterranean world 

 was limited, for it was soon found that the light shed by the 

 two candles in the possession of the party was totally in- 

 adequate for either examination or exploration purposes, and 

 that the temperature was such as to induce streams of per- 

 spiration from one's head, face, and hands. The floor of the 

 cave was muddy, and there was e\idence to prove that at a 

 very recent date a large body of water had coursed over it in 

 a northerly direction. This cave can be designated spacious, 

 since there is ample room for one to move about in a natural 

 position. From two brief and limited examinations I am 

 unable to express a definite opinion as to the probable extent 

 of the underground caverns hereabouts, but, from what 1 

 gleaned some years ago, I have reason to believe that they 

 extend for many hundreds of yards, alternately contracting and 



