340 PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION C. 



the ironstones are strikingly distinguished from the Pliocene 

 Tertiary leaf-beds of the Daylesford and other older gold drift 

 deposits by the total absence of myrtaceous plants, which so 

 strongly mark the recent forest foliage of Victoria. I have no 

 doubt the fossil leaves fi'om this locality indicate a Lower Miocene 

 or Upper Eocene Tertiary flora, in which lauraceous plants form a 

 remarkable feature. All the species seem new ; but leaves of 

 Laurus, Cinnamomum, Baphnogina, and possibly Acer, are scarcely 

 to be distinguished from species referred to those genera in the 

 leaf-beds (of the geological age mentioned) of Rott, near Bonn 

 and CEnningen, especially the Cinnamomum polymorphum (Herr^. 

 Professor McCoy also remarks* — "The specimens from this locality 

 (head of the Bundarrah, i.e., Bogong High Plains) are of great 

 interest from containing a new species of Taniopteris, T. tenuis- 

 sime-striata (McCoy, MS.), the first example of this in Tertiary rocks 

 in Australia, although well-known in rocks of this age in other 

 parts of the world. There is also a Lastrea, L. Dargoensis 

 (McCoy, MS.), allied to a Miocene species from the Arctic regions. 

 With these are a few fragments of di(!otyledonous leaves, apparently 

 identical with some from Bacchus Marsh, but too imperfect for 

 precise identification." The same authority, in the report above 

 referred to, also remarks on specimens from the Dargo High 

 Plains as follows : — " Several imperfect lauraceous leaves of un- 

 described species, occurring also in the Miocene Tertiary beds of 

 Bacchus Marsh. With these is a most interesting specimen of a 

 species of Salisburia, S. Murrayi (McCoy, MS.), nearly allied to 

 some Miocene forms from the Arctic regions, but not hitherto 

 found in Australian strata." Also, " The specimens are all clearly 

 of Miocene Tertiary age, the Cinnamomum polymorphokles (McCoy) 

 and Laurus Werriheensis (McCoy) being the only ones as yet 

 described and figured, but several others are identical with forms in 

 the Bacchus Marsh beds, bearing out my former suggestion of 

 the geological identity of the deposits of these two localities. In 

 addition to these are some imperfectly preserved impressions, 

 apparently referable to the Ficiis Dionysia (Massalongi) from the 

 South Eviropean Miocene beds, and traces of at least two plants 

 not previously observed." 



AGE OF THE BEDS. 



The apparent reason for determining these beds to belong to the 

 Miocene age is a comparison of the fossil flora with that of Europe. 

 Professor McCoy has stated that he has no doubt that the fossil 

 leaves from Bacchus Marsh indicate a Lower Miocene or Upper 

 Eocene Tertiary flora, but we are not aware of any subsequent 

 reference to Upper Eocene age in any of the Victorian geological 

 reports on these beds. As only a very few determined plants have 



• Prog. Rep. Geo. Surv., Vic, No. v., p. 175. 



