470 Notices of Memoirs — Victoria in Kainozoic Period. 



On the surface of the ancient peneplain, 5,000 feet above sea-level, 

 (?) Miocene plant-remains and river-gravels are preserved beneath 

 basalt at Dargo High Plains. This indicates a long pre-AIiocene 

 period of quiescence followed by a great uplift. This area has not 

 been submerged during tlie Kainozoic. 



The nature of tbe Kainozoic Series indicates that, outside the 

 highland area, a gradual subsidence of considerable magnitude 

 (Oligocene and Miocene), accompanied by volcanic outbreaks (Miocene), 

 was followed by re-elevation to a maximum of about 900 feet above 

 sea-le\el (Pliocene or post-Pliocene). There is evidence to show that 

 the movements were not uniform in direction, though the net result 

 was depression or elevation. Bass Strait is a recently sunken area 

 in which equilibrium has not yet been established. 



The nearly horizontal position of the Kainozoic rocks indicates 

 that the movements were vertical ; and there are, moreover, examples 

 of Kainozoic faults in which the differential movement amounts to 

 900 feet. 



The volcanic rocks are basaltic except for sporadic occurrences of 

 alkali rocks in Eastern, Central, and Western Victoria. 



The Older Basalts are most abundant to the east of Melbourne. 

 Some remnants occur on the ancient peneplain 3,000 feet above the 

 present streams, but the most extensive areas are at lower levels in 

 South Gippsland. At Flinders the Older Basalt underlies marine 

 Miocene, and has been proved by boring to be over 1,300 feet thick, 

 and to extend from sea-level to that depth. In some instances the 

 age can be conclusively proved, but in others the evidence is poor. 

 These basalts are associated with the first great period of eax'th 

 movements. 



The Newer Basalts are most extensively developed in the western 

 district, where their northern boundary is not far from the 500 ft. 

 contour ; here they overlie marine Kainozoics. Large areas are also 

 found on the plateau west of Kilmore and along its northern flanks. 

 The Newer Basalts are never covered by marine deposits, except 

 recent accumulations near the coast, their surface is little dennded, 

 and many of the cones of loose scoria are almost perfect. It appears 

 that the Newer Basalts mark the close of the last great movement 

 which elevated the marine Kainozoics. 



In New South Wales and South Australia earth movements on 

 a grand scale took place during the Kainozoic period, yet volcanic 

 action was comparatively insignificant. 



(8) On the Tertiab,y Alkali Bocks of Victoria. By Ernest "W. 

 , Skeats, D.Sc, A.K.C.S., F.G.S., Professor of Geology and 

 Mineralogy, University of Melbourne. 



1j">E,0M Mount Leinster in Benambra, Frenchman's Hill near Omeo, 

 and Noyang in Dargo, three areas in Eastern Victoria, the late 

 Dr. Howitt (1) described igneous rocks which belong to tlie alkali 

 series. They were all regarded by Howitt as of Palaeozoic age. The 

 age of the rocks of Noyang, which consist mainly of intrusions and 

 lava-flows of quartz-ceratophyre, has not been closely investigated 



