G5 



contact, and for the distance of a few feet from it into a 

 ferruginous sandstone, which has e^vidently been subjected to 

 great heat. There can be no question, therefore, as to the 

 relative -age of these two rocks, and the only point open to 

 doubt is as to that of the Sandstones, which I myself believe, 

 and have endeavored to point out my reason for believing, to 

 be the equivalent of the Fingal formation, and it may be 

 remarked that even should this not be the case, and the rock 

 •be of later date than that which I have assigned to it — and I 

 think no one after examination would credit it with an earlier 

 age — the point which 1 have submitted would be the more 

 certainly proved, — for the Greenstone, if of later date than 

 this, would necessarily be the same with the Coal formation, 

 which would, upon this supposition, be of older formation than 

 the one described. 



Another point of interest upon the coast is the existence, in 

 the neighborhood of Cape Portland, of a limited area of the 

 Fenestella bearing beds of the upj^er Palaeozoic formation, 

 these occur near the head of Muscle Eoe Bay — in a creek 

 running from between some G-reenstone Hills and traversing 

 the sandy flats round the head of the bay — the country in this 

 direction is so depressed and covered by drifts, that but little 

 evidence of its internal structure can be obtained, and it is, 

 therefore, interesting to find in this locality and in this position, 

 a formation, which is not represented in any way in the higher 

 ground in the neighborhood, and in fact is not met with in 

 ■any direction for many many miles, — this, as well as the 

 little outliers of the coal formation at Cape Portland, re- 

 present the last traces of the upper Palaeozoic formation 

 upon the Coast, but still are sufficient evidence of their having 

 been as widely distributed at as late date over that portion as 

 they are generally over the centre and south of the island. I 

 believe that their entire destruction resulted from their 

 having been subjected to the influences of marine action 

 during a longer period, and possibly in consequence of a 

 different rate of depression and elevation to that extended to 

 other parts of the colony. 



The attention of the Society has been directed at various 

 periods to the tertiary deposits flanking the shores of this 

 island — perhaps in no district could they be studied more 

 effectually, or with greater advantage, than in the one to 

 which my present remarks apply. 



The low sandy wastes, commencing near George Town, and 

 alternately expanding and contracting in width as they 

 extend round the coast, attain their maximum development in 

 the North Eastern point of the island. In fact an area of 

 about 200 square mileS; lying south of Cape Portland, appears 



