Lower Tertiariea of the Moorahool Valley. In 



cutting leading westward from the Fyansford Bridge gives 

 an exposure of the tertiary strata a few feet in extent, at a 

 height of about 40 ft. above the sti'eam. The exposed rock 

 is the yellow clay, with calcai-eous nodules, so constantly 

 occurring near the top of the series in the neighbourhood. 

 The onl}^ fossil we found was an oyster; but a more careful 

 search would probably yield more forms. The tendency of 

 the basaltic dehrin to completely mask a hill side, thus giving 

 an erroneous view of the depth of the flow, is well shown in 

 various places in the valley ; and here, when walking along 

 the river bank a few days before noticing the outcrop above, 

 we had no idea that the geological boundary needed a 

 correction. The difference in the level of the basalt on the 

 two sides of the valley is a marked one. Standing on 

 Orphanage Hill, far below the level of the base of the flow, 

 one can see for miles over the basalt plain to the westward ; 

 and extensive denudation must consequently have taken 

 place both before and after the outflow of igneous rock. 



The geological quarter-sheet gives 10 ft. of loose sand 

 underlying the basalt. This in the map is coloured yellow, 

 indicative of Older Pliocene, and the outcrop is shown 

 extending far up the valley. There is, however, but little 

 doubt as before mentioned, that the deposit is of the same 

 age throughout, and no sufficient grounds exist for dividing- 

 it into two parts. The change from clay to sand is a gradual 

 one, which can be traced as we go up the hill on any of the 

 sections exposed in the valley. The change in the character 

 of the sediment naturally affected the inhabitants of the se;i, 

 but the fossils which occur in the sandy strata occur in the 

 argillaceous beds as well, and no new forms appear. 



The Orphanage Hill section is a very typical <me. The 

 grey clays at the base become yellow as the}^ pass upwards, 

 and calcareous nodules and bands make their appearance in 

 the more arenaceous rock near the summit. The beds have 

 been energetically searched for fossils by some of the Geelong 

 collectors, and consequently good specimens are now some- 

 what difficult to procure. However, as a result of visits on 

 various occasions, we have procured specimens of 192 species 

 from the locality. 



In speaking of the polyzoal lock of Western Victoria, 

 Mr. Dennant * mentions that at Muddy Creek the limestone 



Proc. A.A.A.S.," 18!)0, p. 442. 



