88 Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria. 



Miocene Beds. 



In August, 1896, we described a miocene outcrop near the 

 cemetery at Shelford (Sec. IV.). We then expressed the 

 opinion that the sediments rested upon basalt of miocene or 

 pre-miocene age, but that they were not in turn covered by 

 another and later lava flow. Since then, Messrs. Hall and 

 Pritchard have announced that the miocene of the adjoining river 

 valley, the Moorabool, is clearly overlain by basalt, and they 

 therefore suggest that such may also be the case on the 

 Leigh. They are quite right, and we unreservedly withdraw our 

 previous statement to the contrary. There is, in fact, one flow 

 of lava at a lower level than the miocene conglomerate, and also 

 an upper and wholly distinct flow resting upon it. The section 

 we gave is correct as far as the surface outline is concerned, but, 

 instead of being a superficial deposit only, the miocene should be 

 shown as passing into the hill just underneath the basalt which 

 caps its summit. In support of our revised opinion we ofier 

 the following evidence. 



A narrow gully close to the township, on the western bank of 

 the river, shews massive blocks of the miocene conglomerate 

 containing casts of fossils. The thickness of the deposit could not 

 be accurately estimated, owing to the debris which covers the 

 floor of the gully. Above the blocks, and lying right upon them, 

 there is a jointed vesicular basalt. No mistake can be made 

 about this section. Both rocks are undoubtedly hi situ, and, by 

 the weathering of the miocene boulders, the under surface of the 

 upper basalt is for a short distance in the hill plainly disclosed. 

 The elevation of this junction is, by aneroid, 195 feet above datum 

 line. For about 25 feet lower down we observed ironstone 

 blocks on the floor of the gully, when they give place to limestone, 

 -which, from the occurrence of Schizaster abductus in it, we consider 

 to be eocene. The older basalt crops out still lower down at a 

 height of 105 feet, but whether it passes under the limestone, or 

 is only banked up against it, we were unable to determine. The 

 base of the basalt is not visible, being concealed by surface soil. 



From this gully the miocene boulders carrying fossil casts were 

 traced uninterruptedly in a southerly direction as far as the Red 

 Bluff", where, as we have already recorded, they are again seen to 



