34 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



There is no doubt, then, that these rocks are of ^Eolian origin 

 — i.e., they were formed in exactly the same way as the dunes of 

 to-day are being formed, wholly by the agency of wind-blown sand. 



Overlying these old dunes in many places are sheets of lime- 

 stone, locally but erroneously called flint. This limestone varies 

 considerably in texture. In many places it is sandy and friable, 

 and can hardly be called compact; but, generally speaking it is, 

 on the surface, hard and somewhat cherty in appearance, getting 

 less compact and more friable as it is traced downwards, and 

 gradually merging into the sandstone beneath. It varies from a 

 few inches to several feet in thickness, and is no doubt derived 

 from the carbonate of lime like that contained in the underlying 

 rock. 



The supposed human footprints were found in a quarry about 

 a mile from the sea, and at a depth of about 50 feet from the 

 surface — in fact, near the bottom of the formation. As I have 

 said, the slab bearing the impressions now lies in the Warr- 

 nambool Museum. 



There are two impressions, much like what would be made by 

 a shoe or boot. They are each about 9 inches long ; the right is 

 about 3 inches across the broadest part, and the other is some- 

 what less. In both can be distinguished a narrow part cor- 

 responding to the instep. At the upper ends the two impressions 

 are about 2 inches apart, and point outwards, and are both much 

 deeper at the lower than at the upper ends. Just below, and at 

 the same time a little to the left of each, there is a distinct 

 bulging out of the stone. 



About 7 inches behind these two imprints is a large oval-like 

 depression. This has unfortunately been somewhat injured in 

 the operations of getting the slab out and conveying it to the 

 Museum. Alongside of this depression is another of the same 

 character, but considerably larger. There is a very distinct 

 bulging out just below the lower margin of each, and between 

 the two the rock has the appearance of having been squeezed 

 up. 



The quarrymen state that, when they first laid bare the slab 

 bearing the impressions, there were two other prints very like the 

 two I have described first, but larger, and lying to the right of 

 these — in fact, bearing the same relation of position to the right 

 large impression as the. other two do to the left. These were 

 unfortunately destroyed, owing to the carelessness of the men in 

 getting the slab out. The stone when first quarried is soft, and 

 any marks are soon obliterated unless care is taken. 



We have seen that the rock in which the supposed footprints 

 were found is of yEolian origin ; and as they occurred in a bed 

 sloping at an angle of 32 , and on the side remote from the sea, 

 it is evident that they were formed on the landward face of an 



