102 A CONTRIBUTION TO, ETC. 



miles from Sydney, and, now that the railroad has been opened 

 as far as to Mittagong, the journey from the metropolis to Berrima 

 can be accomplished in a few hours. The Mittagong Range, which 

 may be regarded as an easterly spur of the Blue Mountains, 

 forms the northern boundary of the Southern table land on the 

 coast side of the main dividing chain. The highest point is about 

 2454 feet above the level of the sea, and the range runs through 

 the whole length of the county of Camden, terminating close to 

 the sea in the Illawarra mountain, about fifty miles south of 

 Sydney. The vegetation in the immediate neighbourhood of 

 Berrima varies very much from that of the Mittagong Range, 

 especially where the sandstone rock is covered or displaced by 

 whinstone or trap ; but probably some of the prettiest flowering 

 shrubs may be found within a short distance of the town. In 

 reference to the geology of the Mittagong Range, and its re- 

 semblance in some parts to that of Tomah, I have received the 

 following communication from my eminent geological friend, the 

 Rev. W, B. Clarke, F.G-.S. ; "The summit of Mount Tomah is 

 covered by basalt, which extends away to Mount Hay, where, 

 however, the igneous rock somewhat varies from the ordinary 

 character of basalt. The west end of the Mittagong Range is 

 partly trachyte and partly a porphyritic greenstone. But basalt 

 occurs in the more southern part of that range, and forms some 

 isolated hills in the country near the Wingecarribbee Swamp and 

 Mount Kinnoul. Basalt also occurs in great abundance near Ivy 

 Hall at Cordeaux, on the Berrima Road and in other parts of 

 that country. The Mittagong carries its igneous character right 

 down to Kiama. It is not, therefore, extraordinary to find the 

 vegetation on Tomah and certain parts of the Mittagong agree. 

 Between the head of Cordeaux River and the Road from Jamberoo 

 to Bong Bong are several other large masses of basalt, and there, 

 also, tree-ferns abound. The different colours on the surface 

 soil of those localities are probably due to a greater or less 

 proportion of iron oxide." Of the Rutaceae, two species of the 

 genus Boronia (B. micropliylla and B. anemonifolid), one of Pke- 

 balium (P. sgruamalosum) , and one of PhilotJieca occur frequently 

 amongst the disintegrated sandstone, whilst the Epacris family, 

 which in Australia takes the place of Heathworts, is there repre- 

 sented by four species of Epacris and three of Leucopogon, viz., 



