362 PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION C. 



geological times, the present Tables point to a gradual elevation of 

 the sea-bottom in southern Australia, dating from Eocene times, 

 and coincidently with this shallowing of the sea there was 

 apparently a slow lowering of temperature. Taking the Muddy 

 Creek formations for analysis in these particulars, we find the lower 

 bed (Eocene) contains 49 per cent, of shallow water species, and 

 28 per cent, of those which have a moderately deep, to deep, habitat, 

 whilst in the upper bed (Miocene) the shallow water species reach 

 58 per cent., and the moderately deep, to deep, forms are reduced 

 to 16 per cent. — a decided change in the fauna in the direction of 

 shallowing conditions. Again, by comparing the lists with regard 

 to climatic distribution, the Eocene beds contain 26 per cent, 

 characteristic of tropical and 33 per cent, of warmer temperate 

 zones, whilst in the Miocene beds the tropical forms are reduced to 

 1 8 per cent., and the warmer temperate increased to 35 per cent. 

 In the later Pliocenes and Post-Tertiaries the same tendencies are 

 not only conthiued but accentuated. It is interesting, as bearing 

 upon this subject, to observe that the author has found several sub- 

 arctic species living in the Port Creek.* 



CRETACEOUS. 

 The Cretaceous beds of central Australia have yielded in 

 A^arious places a remarkable supply of artesian water. For the 

 purpose of tapping these subterranean supplies many bores have 

 been sunk, and it has been chiefly from the cores of the diamond 

 drill thus used that the following species of foraminifera have 

 been obtained. 



LOCALITIES. 



1. Hergott, No. 1 Bore. — The results given in this column 

 were obtained from the examination of material at nine different 

 horizons, ranging from 15ft. from the surface down to 309ft., at 

 which depth the bed-rock was touched. For fuller particulars of 

 this bore, see Uoy. Soc. Trans., S. Aus., vol. viii., 1885, p. 79. 



2. Hergott, No. 2 Bore. — This bore was put down about 150 

 yards from the preceding. A very complete series of samples at 

 regular distances of 10ft. have been placed at my disposal by 

 Mr. Jones, the Conservator of Water, and, so far as searched, 

 have yielded the forms now indicated. My examination of the 

 core is incomplete. The occurrences noted were observed at the 

 following depths from the surface in feet, viz., 50ft., 100ft., I20ft., 

 130ft., 140ft., 150ft., and 210ft. 



3. Tarkaninna Bore. — This bore is situated on The Clayton, 

 about thirty miles north-east of Hergott. Twenty samples of 

 material were examined, ranging in depth from near the surface 

 down to 1,226ft. The quantities available for examination were, 



*"The Estiiarine Foraminifera of the Port Adelaide River "—Trans. Roy. Soo. S.A., 

 vol. XIII., 1890, p. 161. 



