MNii ISLAND SAND-ROCK ANDERSON. 281 



was at a iniicli lowei- level and was necessai'ily iio< so larfje 

 as at prestMit. pointing to a pei'iod of subniei'gence. it is even 

 ])ossible tluK it underwent a sudden sinkin<j, up to a certain 

 level, the resultot which ina3'a(!Count I'or the killinir off of laj'c^e 

 numbers of the animals wliose bones have been subsequently 

 found as fossils in the sand-rock. This peri(Kl of submergence 

 may not have been of any great dui-ation, as theie are no 

 evidences of raised beaclies or othjer data suggestive of a 

 lengthened period of submei-gence. But it seems to me that in 

 suggesting a possible ex[)lauation for the presence of this 

 deposit, with its enclosed osseous i-emains, some such occui-reiice 

 as the above must have taken place. From other sources we 

 have evidences of great physical disturbances in recent geological 

 times over the area now known as Bass Strait, and it seems 

 quite probable that this suggested disturbance on King Island 

 occui-red as a part of these physical changes in the geograpliy 

 of this region. 



The whole subjectof the physical geology of the islands in Bass 

 Strait, which foi'm pai-tially submerged connecting links be- 

 tween the continent of Australia and the island of Tasmania, is 

 one of exceeding interest but as yet one whicli has hardlv 

 been touched upon by geologists and zoologists. Tliere is no 

 doubt that when this subject has been worked up, not only 

 will there be some remaikable facts discovered, both zoological 

 and palaeontological, but also facts of importance which may 

 have far reacliiiig applications in Australasian physical 

 geology, relating to the geological movements of tliis most in- 

 teresting portion of Austi'alasia, which have taken place with- 

 in geologicalh' I'ecent times. Even now some curious facts in 

 distrilnition are known ; for instance, the large islands, called 

 the Hunteis, to the south of King Island and lying off the 

 north coast of Tasmania, although only separated from each 

 other by a strait, not three miles wide, until lately showed a 

 curious zoological anomaly. The geological foi'niation of the 

 two islands differs, the western consisting of granite and the 

 eastern of metamorphic sedimentary rocks. The strait now 

 undoubtedly occupies a line of fault, which within recent 

 geological times caused the separation of the two islands. It 

 has been reported that within living memory the western 

 island was overrun by wallaby while the eastern was absolutely 



