856 president's address. 



tlie Plagiaulacidse. This formation comprises a marvellous collec- 

 tion of animals including Ho)ii.unciUus. Pliilippi considers it to 

 be of Miocene Age. 



Above this lies the Boulder oi- Tchuelche Formation, which, as 

 Darwin has shown, is of marine not glacial origin. This is stated 

 to be of Miocene Age. 



Later signs of geological phenomena are the transverse valleys 

 of Patagonia and the Pampean Formation, which latter contains 

 six or seven successive mammalian faunas. Dr. von Jhering says 

 of the moUusca that almost all the species live still on the shores 

 of Brazil. 



There are numerous plant remains in the beds included in this 

 formation, and it is to be hoped that investigation of the same 

 may be made without delay. 



Tertiary Plant Remains in Australia. 



]Mr. T. S. Hall and Mr. G. B. Pritchard have done much to 

 unravel the difficulties of determination of the age of the Tertiary 

 beds of Victoria. 



Much confusion had previously resulted from a misunderstanding 

 of the position of what is termed the Older Basalt, which was con- 

 sidered Miocene by Professor McCoy, on account of its being 

 supposed to overlie beds of Miocene Age. Messrs. Hall and 

 Pritchard have shown this view to be erroneous, and the date, 

 instead of being Miocene, to be early Tertiary,* as it has been 

 found to be overlapped by acknowledged marine Eocene strata. 



Underneath the Lower Basalt lie in various localities of the 

 colony indurated clays cemented with ferruginous or siliceous 

 material and containing beautifully preserved plant remains, and 

 the conclusion seems almost forced upon us that these are Upper 

 Cretaceous in aa;e. 



* On the Age of certain Plant-bearing beds in Victoria. Aust. Assoc. 

 1893, Adelaide. 



