218 Reviews— The Geological Survey of Victoria. 



This natural, and therefore almost universal, demand for maps by 

 the Yictorian colonists has, however, led to one very desirable result, 

 namely, the publication by the government of a geological sketch- 

 map of the colony, the lines having been drawn by Mr. Selwyn 

 himself. This map, which is on the tolerably large scale of eight 

 miles to the inch, gives a capital synopsis of Victorian geology, and 

 so important has it been deemed on the continent of Europe that the 

 enterprising scientific publisher of Grotha has employed Dr. Peter- 

 mann to make a reduction of it. The contrast between this map and 

 one of Great Britain is very great. We miss, especially, the evident 

 lines of strike of the diiferent formations, which we are accustomed 

 to see exhibited with such regularity on maps of our own islands. 

 Victoria seems to be formed of a great mass of Palgeozoic rocks, 

 through which protrude large areas of granite and trap, and upon 

 which repose, near the coast, belts of Mesozoic and Tertiary strata, 

 and volcanic products. On the margin of the map it is stated that 

 remunerative gold workings may be found, either in quartz -reefs or 

 as alluvial deposits in the Lower Palaeozoic, Metamorphic, Pliocene, 

 and Post-pliocene strata, and in the Granitic and Upper Volcanic 

 rocks. 



The survey-maps, which are on the scale of two inches to the 

 mile, are very creditable specimens of colonial chromo -lithography. 

 Every attempt seems to have been made to render them as complete 

 and accurate as possible, not only as geological and topographical 

 maps, but also as guides to the physical geography and resources of 

 the country. Besides the distribution of the formations, the indi- 

 cations of dip and strike, and other data usually inserted on geolo- 

 gical maps, they contain a considerable amount of information as to 

 the composition and fossil contents of the various strata, the mine- 

 ralogy of the eruptive and volcanic rocks, and the localities in which 

 gold- veins and gold-drifts have been or are profitably worked, in- 

 cluding statistics as to the amount of gold per ton obtained by these 

 different workings. The localities and numbers of the specimens ob- 

 tained by the surveyors and dej)Osited in the Melbourne Museum are 

 carefully marked on the maps, and thus afi'ord to the colonists 

 valuable means of comparison ; and as the boundaries and numbers 

 of the numerous allotments are mapped with the same care as the 

 outlines of the geological formations, no doubt the facilities thus 

 given are duly appreciated. 



A region, whose recent fauna and flora are so peculiar as those of 

 Australia, might be expected to yield some geological puzzles. Ac- 

 cordingly we find that all the fossiliferous strata possess a very high 

 interest to the palaeontologist. The Lower Silurian beds yield Grap- 

 tolites, agreeing genus for genus, and almost specifically, with those 

 from the Skiddaw slates of England,* and bearing a remarkable 

 resemblance to those from the Quebec group of Canada. 



Of the British species we may especially mention Biplograpsus 

 pristis, Graptolites Ludensis, G. tenuis, G. latus, and G. Sagittarius; 



1 See Quart. Journ. Gaol. Soc. vol. xix. p. 139. 



