14 P roceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria. 



is about 200 ft., and there is no evidence elsewhere, of such 

 a great elevation of the coast within recent times. It seems 

 probable that the shells wei'e cariied there by human agency, 

 as similar collections of shells forming the "' kitchen middens " 

 of the blacks, are not unknown in other places. A careful 

 examination (/ the soil did not show any quartzose sand, 

 and the ant-heaps near the spot are covered with small 

 pieces of scoriaceous basalt. Had there been anj' quartz 

 sand in the deposits, traces of it would certainly have been 

 found on the ant-heaps. Limestone nodules occur, but they 

 are not unknown in decomposed basalt nearer Melbourne, 

 and similar masses may be found near the railway cutting 

 in Royal Park, the lime being probably derived from the 

 decomposition of a lime felspar. A few angular fragments 

 of (juartz and quartzite were found on the surface, but are 

 exceedingly scarce. There is certainly no evidence of a 

 marine deposit overlj'ing the basalt anywhere near this 

 locality. 



With regard to the 6 ft. of loose .sand mentioned on the 

 quarter-sheet, as underlying the basalt, this seems very local 

 in its development. In most places, the clay beds which, 

 as before mentioned, become more sandy in their upper 

 portion, are directh^ overlain by the basalt, but in a few 

 spots, loose sand does occur. There is no difference in colour 

 between the loose sandy beds, and those containing a small 

 admixture of clay, both being fawn-coloured. The bed oC 

 sand is marked Older Pliocene on the map, and is represented 

 as having a continuous outcrop for miles up the valley. The 

 evidence for its separation from the underlying beds is 

 exceedingly slight. 



We record 106 species from this locality. 



From Coghill's to the Orphanage Hill, the ridge on thf 

 left bank maintains a fairly uniform height of about 200 ft. 

 above the river, and falls away gradually on the eastward 

 towards Corio Bay. The country on the right bank had 

 evidently suffered extensive denudation before the basalt 

 outflow took place. The survey quarter-sheet shows the 

 ba.salt coming right down to the river's edge, from CoghilFs 

 to Fyansford (its upj^er surface being only about 50 ft. or 00 

 ft. above), while on the other bank, the base of the basalt is 

 about 170 ft. above the river. It is possible, howevei', that 

 the face of the hill is merely covered by the debris, and that 

 the flow is not as deep as shown. For instance, the road- 



