BY FRITZ NOETLING, M.A., Ph.D., ETC. 247 



-work forwards. We will take the glacial period (i) in 

 Tasmania as this datum level, irrespective for the 

 moment of its correlation with European and American 

 glacial stages. 



6. THE PLEISTOCENE ICE AGE IN TASMANIA. 



It would be out of place to go here into a detailed 

 description of the features of the last glacial period in 

 Tasmania. These have been sufficiently set forth by 

 Montgomery, R. ^l. Johnston, and others. ^ly investi- 

 gations have shown that we can distinguish at least 

 three centres of glaciation. It has not been quite proved 

 whether these three centres existed all the time sepa- 

 rately or whether they once merged into one sheet of 

 ice. Further information is badly needed on this point. 

 However, it does not matter much as far as the problem 

 we are interested in, is concerned. 



In the sketch map (PI. II., Fig. i) these three centres 

 are named — 



(i) The Cradle Mountain Centre. 



(2) The Ben Lomond Centre. 



(3) The Mount Wellington Centre. 



(a) THE CRADLE MOUNTAIN CENTRE OF 

 GLACIATION. 



This area of glaciation includes all the highlands 

 in the middle and north-west of the island, from the 

 Great Lake on to Mount Lyell. The average present 

 height of the plateau is about 2,000 feet. Though most, 

 if not all, observations concerning the glacial period in 



(i) It must be kept in mind that in Tasmania there is evi- 

 dence of at least two, if not three, glacial periods, separated by 

 enormous intervals of time. The Permian and the Pleistocene 

 period are undisputed, but since Howchin's epoch making dis- 

 covery of a Cambrian glacial period in South Australia, it has to 

 be investigated whether certain conglomerates in Tasmania may 

 not probably be due to the same cause. 



