12 PERMO-CARBONIFEROUS FOSSIL CLIFFS. 



miles, and, as its mass in the north rises rapidly, with 

 fantastic outline, from the sea to a height of over 3000 

 feet, it presents a very imposing appearance as seen from 

 the nearest part of the mainland, six or seven miles 

 distant. 



The general geological features of both North and 

 Sonth Divisions of the island are very similar, and closely 

 agree with those of the Schoiiren Island and Freycinet's 

 Peninsula, with which at one time, no doubt, they were 

 connected. 



Thus, in all, we find the easterly half entirely com- 

 posed of grey and, sometimes red, granites, often coarsely 

 porphyritic. The large tabular crystals of the various 

 kinds of felspar are particuliry conspicuous in places. 

 Flanking the granites on their western side, in a more or 

 less well-determined north and south trough or valley, 

 occur metamorphic locks of Archaean age, together Avith 

 schists, slates, and close-grained limestone, probably of 

 Lower Silurian age. In such situations stream-tin has 

 been sparingly found, both on Maria Island and on the 

 Schoutens. The great mass of the western half of both 

 divisions is occupied mainly by the prevailing diabasic 

 greenstones of the country, and form, as elsewhere 

 throughout Tasmania, its loftiest and most characteristic 

 physical features. The border of the greenstone ranges, 

 in the southern and western portions of the northern divi- 

 sion, is low-lying, composed of scrubby sand-dunes, 

 enclosing marshy lagoons. Towards the north-east, at 

 Darlington, occur fine section^ of limestones, mudstones, 

 and conglomerates of Permo-Carboniferous age. 



Nowhere throughout Australia and Tasmania are 

 there so complete a series or finer sections of the marine 

 rocks of Permo-carboniferous age exposed than those 

 occurring in the grand precipitous sea-ciifi^'s near Darling- 

 ton, at the north-western extremity of Maria Island. 

 Darlington, the only settlement, wherein live a few 

 families engaged in pastoral occupation, is most charm- 

 ingly situated underneath the shadows of the two curious 

 lofty peaks of Mount Maria, nearly 3000 feet high, 

 whose well-known features, as seen from the seaward 

 side, have suggested the fanciful idea of " Bishop and 

 Clerk," a name by which they are now known. The 

 northern outlook from the settlement is especially grand, 



