Bemeros— The Geological Survey of Victoria. 221 



designated deposits occurring in Europe. If such, are in the posses- 

 sion of Prof. M'Coy we would urge hiik to make them known 

 without delay. 



The igneous rocks associated with these deposits are stated by 

 Mr. Selwyn*^ to he strictly volcanic, and in no instance of older 

 date than the Miocene period ; but their greatest development took 

 place during the deposition of the Pliocene series. 



The occurrence of gold-drifts renders the Tertiary formation of 

 vast importance to the colony in an economic point of view ; but 

 geologically they have a subordinate interest to that of the fos- 

 siliferous strata associated with them. On the maps they are 

 divided into four groups designated, respectively, Miocene, Older 

 Pliocene, Newer Pliocene, and Post Pliocene, or Oldest, Lower, 

 Middle, and Upper Gold-drifts ; the three upper stages sometimes 

 all occur in one locality, but their relation to the underlying 

 deposits does not appear to be well made out. 



In a marginal note on the maps it is stated that deposits of sand, 

 clay, and gravel of the age of the Upper Gold-drifts (Post-Pliocene) 

 occur at intervals along the courses of all the valleys ; they are 

 frequently cut through and redistributed by the existing rivers 

 during floods. 



Amongst the numerous other notes on the margins of the Survey- 

 sheets, we may especially mention those on No. 7, N.W., which, 

 with the accompanying section, plan, and view, elucidate the 

 position, structure, and contents of an important cave at the head 

 of the Toolam Toolern Creek, which was explored in 1857 by Mr. 

 Aplin. This cave is in a basalt-dolerite belonging to the Upper 

 Volcanic group (Pliocene) on the side of a ravine excavated in 

 that rock, and exposing the underlying contorted Lower Silurian 

 rocks at the sole of the valley ; it has yielded specimens of Canis 

 Dingo, Plialangista vuljpina, Dasyurus viverrinus, and Perameles ohesida, 

 all being species now existing in Australia; also Biabolus ursinus 

 (the Tasmanian Devil) no species of which genus is at present 

 known in the island-continent. Besides these there are new species 

 of Dasyimis, Plialangista, Hypsiprymnus, and Macrojms, more or less 

 allied to, but distinct from, the existing forms, together with a 

 representative of a new genus of carnivorous placental mammals, 

 of whose affinities no indication is given. All the bones from this 

 cave are strongly adherent to the tongue, and have quite lost their 

 animal matter. 



In conclusion we will just call attention to the singular fact that, 

 whether we examine the fossils from the Silurian, Carboniferous, 

 Oolitic, or Tertiary formations of Australia, we cannot help being 

 struck by the remarkable resemblance, often even identity, which 

 they bear to fossils from strata passing under the same names, and 

 occurring in distant regions of the earth. 



H. M. J. 

 1 Victorian Essays. 



