414 TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION D. 
Expedition are very deeply indebted for his valuable work on geological Antarc- 
tica, has shown that soda sulphate, mirabilite, now crystallises out in Antarctica, 
as confirmed by my colleague, R. E. Priestley. It is only in our Permo- 
Carboniferous rocks, where we obtain indications of ice action, that we also find 
these glendonites ; therefore it seems to me that, inasmuch as they were developed 
= ce ae with glacial erratics, probably the water at that time was very 
cold. 
Next I should like to emphasise the fact that Antarctica is meteorologically 
a great force centre, and that its presence in the Southern Hemisphere is of 
the utmost importance to the inhabitants of Australia, not only for the under- 
standing of the past distribution of animals and plants, but particularly from 
the point of view of meteorology. There can be no question that if Antarctica 
were wiped off the map now, there would be much less stirring up of the 
atmosphere in the Southern Hemisphere than there is to-day. There is no 
doubt that Antarctica acts as a great refrigerator of the atmosphere, causing a 
steady down-draught, and it is on this account that it is a big factor in 
Australian meteorology. 
In conclusion, may I state that I consider Sir Douglas Mawson has done 
a great work for science in establishing the meteorological wireless station at 
Macquarie Island, now taken over by the Federal Government? When one 
thinks of the great benefit that results from the more accurate weather fore- 
casting made possible by this station, forecasting on the accuracy of which 
not only so many industries but the very lives of our sailors depend, one feels 
that all the money expended on Antarctic expeditions, all the hardship and 
suffering, and even loss of heroic life, that they involve, are justified by the gain 
to scientific knowledge in the service of humanity. 
Professor Pencx : I desire only to make a few remarks as to the geological 
structure of Antarctica. It seems to me there is a very great difference in the 
geological structure of the western and eastern parts of Antarctica. Along the 
Beardmore Glacier there is no trace of mountain-making by folding since the 
Paleozoic age. On the other hand, the region south of South America has the 
structure of the Andes, and it has been shown that there are the same rocks in 
the western part of South America as in western Graham Land, and a very 
similar section of Mesozoic rocks in Patagonia and in eastern Graham Land. 
We see in Australia the counterpart of eastern Antarctica. How are these two 
parts of Antarctica joined together? I think this is still a very open question, 
and one which offers a wide field for future exploration. 
Mr. H. T. Ferrar: Firstly, I would point out that the hill marked J on the 
‘Discovery’ maps is separated from the foot of the Royal Society Scarp by a 
transverse valley which we called the Snow Valley. On a sledge journey up the 
Blue Glacier we were able to look along this valley and recognise Mount Kempe 
standing at its southern end : on a journey to the summit of Brown Island we 
were able to see into this valley over the tops of the Southern Foothills which 
have a sharp and definite crest. One of the lantern slides just shown by 
Mr. Taylor exhibited a long cloud hanging as a festoon along the scarp of the 
Royal Society Range, and reaching from the northern foot of Mount Kempe 
up to the western foot of the hill J, which I think betrays the presence of this 
transverse valley, although its existence is denied by Mr. Taylor. I do not 
agree with Mr. Taylor that these ‘ finger-valleys,’ as he terms them, head in the 
corries of the Royal Society Range. I think the ice-masses in them are remnants 
of glaciers which once had their origin on the east face of the Royal Society 
Range, and then pushed across the transverse valley into McMurdo Sound. The 
ice-masses have now slipped away from their sources, and are the ‘ice-slabs’ 
shown somewhat conventionally on the ‘ Discovery’ maps. The late Dr. Wilson 
at the south end, and myself at the north end of the Southern Foothills, proved 
that the ice in these so-called finger-valleys does not now meet that shed from 
the Royal Society Scarp. I think Mr. Taylor journeyed too close in under these 
foothills to realise that this transverse valley really exists. 
Secondly, we had the good fortune to see the Royal Society Range from 
several points of view, and to us it stood out as an obloid crust-block with a 
