396 REPORT—1905. 
in the south disappeared beneath the waters of the Indian Ocean. A series of 
peneplains, or plains of river-erosion, mark the periods of rest and elevation of the 
country, the highest of which is now found at an altitude of a little over 8,000 ft. 
above sea-level. The plateau of the Drakensberg has been deeply cut into on the 
west and south-west, but on the south-east it presents an almost unbroken face, 
over 800 miles in length, rising from 2,000 to as much as 6,000 ft. above the ground 
at its base. 
The following correlation with extra-African formations is suggested :— - 
South Africa India New South Wa les Europe 
op i el ats ol 
& 8 (| Volcanic Beds . | \ pe jmahdl Series | Middle (2) and 
ise Cave Sandstone | 3A 
FI s Red Beds | 0 | Lower Jurassic 
Ss | Molteno Beds | { Kota - Maleri Wianamatta aN Rheetic 
A fy Series. .| Series. . J | i 
2 8 | Upper Beaufort | 2 | 
23 || Burghersdorp | | Panchet Series, | Hawkesbury | cee 
= § + Beds. . | J &e. Series, &c. . bien o hs 
& 5 | | Middle Beaufort J 
oa Beds | 
3, Recent Advances in Seismology. By Joun Mitnn, F.R.S. 
4. On the Geology of South Victoria Land. 
By H. T. Ferrar, JA. 
I. The knowledge we had of South Victoria Land previous to the departure of 
the ‘ Discovery’ was mainly acquired by the expedition under Sir James Clarke 
Ross in his ships, H.M.S. ‘ Erebus’ and H.M.S. ‘Terror,’ in the years 1839-1843, 
His discoveries may be briefly summed up thus :— 
(a) A great range of mountains, which rise occasionally to heights of 15,000 
feet, and extend in a north and south direction for at least 500 miles, 
()) The presence of volcanic and plutonic rocks in this area. 
(ce) An open shallow sea south of the antarctic circle. 
(d; An active voleano, Mount Erebus, oyer 12,000 feet high, ‘emitting flame 
and smoke in great profusion, 
(e) A wall of ice, the Great Ice Barrier, on an average 150 feet high, and about 
470 miles long, 
In 1899 the ‘Southern Cross’ Expedition brought home from Cape Adare 
specimens of granites, basalts, and quartz slates, but unfortunately the latter proved 
to be unfossiliferous. 
II. This section deals with the voleanie islands off the coast, commencing with the 
Balleny Group, in latitude 66°S., and passes on to the rocks of the mainland in lati- 
tude 77°S. The rocks from the islands are chiefly basalts and tuffs, though intrusions 
of trachyte are fairly common, Edward VII. Land and the volcanoes on the main- 
land are included in this section, as the latter, at any rate, belong to the recent 
voleanic eruptions of the area. All the volcanoes are undenuded cones, and are 
usually situated in isolated positions, and contrast strongly in outline with the 
rugged scenery of the main mountain range. 
Ill. The Continental Range.—The great range of mountains discovered by 
Sir James Ross has been proved to be at least 800 miles long, and to have some 
remarkable features common to the whole length. This great mountain range is 
divided into smaller ranges, to which distinguishing names have been given; but 
anly one, the Royal Society Range, has been examined in detail by the expedition. 
