March, 1907.] THE YICTOEIAN NATURALIST. 201 



such sad havoc as to leave only a small and very decom- 

 posed remnant. Still, it is fairly evident that the flow 

 originally stretched across to Portarlington, as well as 

 up to Melbourne, for further remnants may be observed 

 at South Melbourne, North Melbourne, and Royal Park, 

 whilst the stumps of some old volcanoes may be noted 

 along the beach near Curlewis. 



After the volcanic outpourings, the land was evidently 

 depressed beneath the sea for some considerable time, to 

 permit of the formation of the well-known fossiliferous 

 clays, sandy clays, and sandstones, which have formed 

 such a strong attraction to geologists and others for so 

 many years. In these deposits we find the remains of 

 all sorts of delicate organisms, especially in the grey 

 clays, in the most perfect state of preservation. So per- 

 fect are some of the forms that the uninitiated look at 

 you sceptically when you say they are fossils, and it is 

 not until you point out similar specimens equally well 

 preserved in some of the hardened concretionary marl- 

 stones or earthy limestone layers that scepticism is turned 

 into wonder at Nature's fine work. Here may be found 

 the remains of some of the lowest organisms of the animal 

 kingdom capable of preservation — the Foraminifera — to 

 the extent of some 200 or 300 different species — also 

 sponge remains, corals, lamp-shells, fish remains (such as 

 sharks' teeth, &c.) polyzoa (about 200 species), and mol- 

 lusca (about 400 species) — in all a fairly rich assemblage 

 of forms representing one view of the conditions existing 

 in that neighbourhood in early tertiary time. Some ex- 

 ception has been taken to the use of the term eocene for 

 the age of these beds, and consequently, to avoid con- 

 fusion until the full fauna is more thoroughly known, the 

 term " Balcombian," derived from the local name of Bal- 

 combe's Bay, at this section, has been used as a local age 

 term for the time beine:. A few of the commonest and 

 most characteristic shells mav be listed as follows: — 

 Lamellibranchiata — 



Dimya dissimilis, Tate. 

 Amusium zitteli, Hutton. 

 Spondylus pseudoradula, McCoy. 

 Plagiarca cainozoica, Tate. 

 Cardita polynema, Tate. 

 Chama lamellifera, T. Woods. 

 Chione cainozoica, T. Woods. 

 Meretrix eburnea, Tate. 

 Corbula ephamilla, Tate. 

 Capistrocardia fragilis, Tate. 

 2761. h 



