382 PHYSICAL STErCTURE AND GEOLOGY OF AUSTRALIA, 



case. Tliere is nothing in common witK our tertiary rocks amongst 

 any of the New Gruinea fossils, all of which I have carefully ex- 

 amined. There is no satisfactory evidence of any former partici- 

 pation in the great ice age by the Continent of Australia. One 

 or two instances of grooves or striations are recorded, but standing 

 alone in so vast a territory the ice origin is very doubtful. On 

 the whole, the evidence afforded by the animal remains is decidedly 

 in favour of a warmer climate for Australia than that which now 

 prevails, and this is borne out by the plant remains. 



While the south portion of the Continent was slowly submerg- 

 ing under the tertiary sea, there is every reason to believe that 

 the eastern side of the Continent was raised above the sea level. 

 The period of this elevation must have been subsequent to the 

 Cretaceous, as marine fossils of that period are found on both 

 sides of the watershed, and on the table land. AV^e have no 

 marine tertiary beds on any portion of the eastern side of the 

 Continent, except a few post tertiary marine shells preserved in 

 ash-beds, which are scarcely above the sea level, and are only 

 seen where the shallow sea has been dammed back by a bank of 

 volcanic mud. Such an instance has been observed by me at 

 Cleveland, in Moreton Bay. The volcanic disturbance must have 

 occurred in places where our present fauna existed. 



"We have on all the east side of Australia, and in many places 

 in Victoria, instances where vegetable remains are found in the 

 old drainage channels covered by lava streams. These have been 

 named and described by the illustrious Baron von Mueller. They 

 show a remarkable series of fruit-bearing trees, different from 

 those which occupy the same areas at the present day. Though 

 fruits were abundant it was not considered in most cases sife to 

 attempt to determine even the order to which the trees belong. 

 The only exceptions were in the case of a coniferous tree, and 

 one belonging probably to the Sapindacccs. No conclusions could 

 be drawn from the remains as to the age of the beds, but as they 



