THE METAMORPHIC ROCKS OF ADELIE LAND.-STILLWELL. 21 



main, of pebbles about Sin. in diameter. The pebbles are, on the whole, coarse ; but 

 fine gravel and sand are always found when one turns the boulders over. The " lower 

 moraines " are found in banks and bars which are parallel to the coast, and which follow, 

 more or less, all the indentations of the contour. They are well seen in the lower parts 

 of the valleys, and in one case three moraine bars appear in succession between the 

 40ft. level and sea level, producing a terraced appearance. In the panoramic view of 

 Cape Denison looking east (Plate XXX., fig. 2), the " lower moraine " has the general 

 appearance of a beach deposit. 



The presence of these " lower moraines " is, no doubt, associated with the presence 

 of the zone of relatively polished rock in the peripheral area below the 40ft. contour 

 level. It has been mentioned that this zone is represented on the Mackellar Islands, 

 where Sir Douglas Mawson has also noticed the presence of patches of roughly-rounded 

 boulders of local varieties of gneiss which are similar to those on the " lower moraines " 

 on the mainland. 



There is no doubt that some of the boulders have been glaciated as well as water 

 worn ; but the abundance of local rock indicates a local origin. Their relation to the 

 contours and to the outline of the coast is evidence of a marine origin. The grading 

 into sizes must have been accomplished by sea water, though shore ice may have assisted 

 to bank the material up into terraces. They probably represent glacial debris which 

 has been subjected to wave erosion and which has become largely diluted with the local 

 detritus produced in the ordinary course of marine erosion. They are the equivalent 

 of the raised beaches in normal climates, and, therefore, indicate, like the zone of polished 

 rock, a recent, slight relative uplift. 



The beach origin of the " lower moraines " is confirmed by the finding in them of 

 a small piece of grit containing shells. This single specimen (No. 702) was found close 

 by the hut and has been examined by Mr. F. Chapman, A.L.S., Palaeontologist to the 

 National Museum, Melbourne. Mr. Chapman has also examined samples of the sands 

 obtained from both the typical moraines and the " lower moraines." His reports are 

 now added. 



NOTE ON A' CONSOLIDATED BEACH SAND FROM CAPE DENISON. 



By F. CHAPMAN, A.L.S. 



Macroscopic Appearance. The rock is of a grey colour, with a roughened weathered 

 surface (Plate XIII., figs. 1 and 2). It measures about 5*5cm. by 4-3cm. The texture 

 is coarse and gritty, and closely resembles a consolidated beach sand such as may be met 

 with in all latitudes under favourable conditions. To my own knowledge the nearest 

 rock in appearance to this is a specimen I collected many years ago from the coast of 

 Ilfraconibe, in Devonshire. In that instance the rock was formed by the concreting 

 action of percolating water charged with dissolved CO S reacting on the shelly particles 

 of the beach. The present specimen shows strong effervescence with HC1. 



