Existence oj Cambrian Fanna in Victoria. 53 



limits of the colony, west of the Grampians, a group of strata is 

 exposed consisting of foliated micaceous and chloritic talcose, and 



serpentinous schists Little is yet known of the relations 



of these beds, and whether they represent a series older than 

 lower Silurian .... is uncertain." 



In the " Table of Geological Formations " given in Murray's 

 " Geology and Physical Geography of Victoria "* these beds are 

 spoken of as "Crystalline (Azoic)." He further speaks of the 

 Lower Cambrian and Laui-entian as " not yet recognised and 

 probably not occurring in \ ictoria," and says : f "The metamorphic 

 rocks of the series, among which may possibly be representatives 

 of the Lower Cambrian and Laurentian groups, appear between 

 the Wannon and Glenelg Rivers westward of the Grampians 

 and in the north-eastern or Omeo district .... 

 but in geological age they appear to be Silurian as regards the 

 period of their deposition." From this it would appear that up 

 to 1887 no evidence, beyond that of mere speculation, existed of 

 true Cambrian rocks in Victoria. Sir F. McCoy, however, in 

 1892 published the following remarks : \ " Some specimens from a 

 r-ecently-observed group of rocks in the Heathcote district, 

 which Mr. E. J. Dunn believed to be older than Silurian, were 

 submitted to me to determine whether the markings were of 

 organic origin. These were cylindrical, flexuous markings, from 

 one to two, or scarcely three, inches in length, mineralogically 

 different from the matrix. These markings are not organic in 

 themselves, but are usually attributed to annelid burrows, and 



are common in Cambrian rocks There is no reason 



for supposing from these specimens that the rock is older than 

 Cambrian oi' Lower Silurian." I know of no other direct 

 evidence of the supposed occurrence of Cambrian rocks in 

 Victoria beyond this. Quite recently, however, Mr. E. Lidgey 

 has expressed the opinion that Pre-Silurian rocks existed within 

 the boundaries of Quarter Sheet No. 80, N.W. (Parishes of 

 Heathcote, Costertield, Knowlesley), in the neighbourhood of 

 Mount Ida, but I am not aware that this was substantiated 



* 8vo. Melbourne, 1887 (p. 16). 

 t hoc. cit. p. 33. 



t Report on Palseontoloyy of the Geolo^jical Survey for the Year 1891. Ann. Report 

 Secy, for Mlnen Vict, for 1891 [1892], p. 30. 



