274- Proceediv(js of the Royal Socie/ij of Victoria. 



that tliere was no evidence of a Tertiary glacial epoch in 

 Victoria in that neighbourhood. 



Dr. Dendy said there seemed to he one as])ect ot" the 

 question that had not been touched upon, viz., its bearing 

 v)n the latest glacial theory in Europe and America. lie 

 believed, according to this theory, the glacial epoch was 

 attributed to astronomical causes, and it was a remarkable 

 fact tliat according to this theory, if they had had a glacial 

 epoch in the northern hemisphere, it followed as a natural 

 consequence that there must have been one in the southern 

 heniisj)here alternating with it. The European geologists, 

 according to this theory, had confidently predicted that we 

 should find in Australia evidences of a Tertiary glacial 

 epocli. Therefore, he trhouglit it probable that the glacial 

 evidences discovered by Messrs. Balfour and Officer might 

 be Tertiaiy. With regard to the question of climate in 

 connection with the fauna, tlie ftict that trojiical fauna was 

 found in some of these Miocene rocks was rather a strong 

 proof in favour of the glacial theoij^ because it had been 

 shown that in the glacial epoch in the northern hemisphere 

 there had been a series of unusually warm periods altern- 

 ating with a series of unusually cold ones. We should 

 therefore expect to find fauna of tropical character in 

 connection with any glacial epoch which might have 

 iiappened heie. 



Mr. Officer, in reply, said that with regard to the term 

 " Till," he thought it a very good term indeed to api)ly to 

 any deposit which could be shown to be moraine profonde. 

 As to Mr. Cresswell's contention that till was not ground 

 moraine, but was due to water action, the boulders having 

 been transported by icebergs, that was a theory which 

 would not bear inspection. As to the roches moutonndes, 

 gentlemen did not seem to be quite satisfied as to the genuine- 

 ness of tlie article. He had seen many examples of roches 

 moutonne'es, but he had seen very few better specimens than 

 those he had described. With regard to the age which they 

 had assigned the lower deposit, they had stated in the paper 

 that it was .simply a matter of probability. Their remarks 

 had been based on the fact that in Europe and South 

 Africa, the glacial conglomerates were of Permian age. 

 Mr. Griffiths had stated that in New South Wales there 

 was no break from the Devonian period to the Mesozoic. 

 Professor David had stated that at the close of lower 



