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x PROCEEDINGS, JUNE. 
GLACIAL ACTION IN TASMANIA, 
This was the subject of an interesting paper by Mr. A. Montgomery, 
M.A., in continuation of the discussion on Mr. Moore’s paper on ‘‘ The 
discovery of glaciation in Tasmania.”” Mr. Montgomery stated that 
having himself come upon evidences of ice action in February last in 
the neighbourhood of Mount Pelion, and being at that time ignorant cf 
Mr. Moore’s discovery four months earlier, he had intended in any case 
to submit a few observations on the subject of glaciation. Before 
passing on to what he personally saw, Mr. Montgomery made some 
remarks on Mr. Moore’s paper. He said it was by no means a new 
discovery, as Mr. Moore appeared to think, that there were glaciers 
among our western highlands, for Mr. R. M. Johnston, and, if he 
was not mistaken, the late Mr. Sprent also, noticed the existence of 
large erratic blocks in the valley of the Mackintosh River, and inferred 
from these that they must have been brought down by ice. Messrs, 
Dunn and Moore’s and his own later finding cf striated boulders, 
smoothed surfaces, roches-moutonnées, and moraine drifts, oniy con- 
firmed the correctness of the views of these earlier observers. Mr. Moore 
was, therefore, in error in ascribing to Mr. Dunn the honour of being the 
discoverer of evidences of glacial action in Tasmania, though perhaps he 
was the first to bring forward indisputable proof. Thecountry described 
by Mr. Moore round Mounts Sedgwick and Tyndall and Lake Dora was 
very similar to that round Mount Pelion. The conglomerates he spoke 
of as Devonian were of much interest, and the further examination and 
fossil evidence of their age would no doubt add an important chapter 
to our knowledge of the geology of the colony. In his journey from Barn 
Bluff to Zeehan, Mr. Montgomery said he noticed conglomerates of three 
distinct ages. To Mounts Sedgwick and Dundas, mentioned by Mr. 
Moore as capped with diabase greenstone, might be added Barn Bluff, 
Mounts Pelion, Ossa, East Pelion, the DuCane, Eldon, and Oakley 
Ranges, as all showing the same feature. While not saying that ice was 
the only considerable agent in cutting out the valleys, the shape of many 
cf them, and the contour of the hillsides suggested that the present 
configuration of the surface was largely due to glacial erosion. The first 
place Mr. Montgomery came upon plain proof of ice action was near 
East Mount Pelion, between a branch of the River Forth flowing from 
that mountain and from Lake Eyre, and another small feeder running 
in a deep gully at the foot of the Oakley Range. The high narrow 
plateau lying between Mount Pelion and Barn Bluff also showed in its 
every contour the former presence of glaciers, On the slopes of Barn 
Bluff there were two more lines of moraine ridges separating flat valleys 
which had been the beds of adjacent glaciers, Going from Barn Bluff 
towards Granite Tor, the rolling hummecks and rounded ridges con- 
tinued to be met with on the high lands, and descending suddenly and 
abruptly from these were huge deep ravines and valleys. The lakes at 
the head of the west branch of the Murchison River, and on the divide 
between it and the Henty, Lakes Spicer, Dora, Beatrice, Rolleston, 
Julia, Selina, also probably indicated the former presence of glaciers, 
and he thought they must come to the conclusion that the whole of the 
deep gorges among the western mountains, now occupied by the head- 
waters of the Pieman, Henty, and King Rivers, had at no very distant 
period of time been occupied by rivers of ice. He admitted the want of 
evidence to prove widespread glaciation in the eastern parts of the 
colony, and mentioned the matter rather because it seemed an almost 
necessary consequence of admitting the prevalence of ice in the western 
highlands that it should also have existed in the east, than on account 
of avy direct proof. At the head of the King River, on the western 
slope of Mount Reid, there had been discovered a deep lead presenting 
suggestive features of ice action. In glancing at the causes of glaciation, 
