Notices of Memoirs — Geology of South Victoria Land. 81 



segregated from the eruptive rock and form an integral part of it, 

 with every gradation between ore and rock. It is believed that 

 gravitation played a large part in the segregation, since the ore 

 bodies are regularly found at the lowest points in the lower edge of 

 the norite-micropegmatite sheet with which they are connected. 



III. — On the Geology of South Victoria Land. By H. T. 



Ferkak, M.A. 



I. The knowledge we had of South Victoria Land previous to the 

 departure of the " Discovery " was mainly acquired by the expedition 

 under Sir James Clarke Eoss in H.M.S. "Erebus" and H.M.S. 

 " Terror," in the years 1839-1843. His discoveries may be 

 briefly summed up thus : — 



(a) A great range of mountains, which rise occasionally to heights 

 of 15,000 feet, and extend in a north and south direction for at least 

 500 miles. 



(&) The presence of volcanic and plutonic rocks in this area. 



(c) An open shallow sea south of the Antarctic circle. 



{d) An active volcano. Mount Erebus, over 12,000 feet high, 

 emitting flame and smoke in great profusion. 



(e) A wall of ice, the Great Ice Barrier, on an average 150 feet 

 high and about 470 miles long. 



In 1899 the " Southern Cross " expedition brought home from 

 Cape Adare specimens of granites, basalts, and quartz slates, but 

 unfortunately the latter proved to be unfossiliferous. 



II. This section deals with the volcanic islands oif the coast, 

 commencing with the Balleny Group, in latitude 66° S., and passes 

 on to the rocks of the mainland in latitude 77° S. The rocks from 

 the islands are chiefly basalts and tuffs, though intrusions of trachyte 

 are fairly common. Edward VII Land and the volcanoes on the 

 mainland are included in this section, as the latter, at any rate, 

 belong to the recent volcanic eruptions of the area. All the volcanoes 

 are undenuded cones, and are usually situated in isolated positions, 

 and contrast strongly in outline with the rugged scenery of the main 

 mountain range. 



III. The Continental Range. The great range of mountains 

 discovered by Sir James Boss has been proved to be at least 800 

 miles long, and to have some remarkable features common to the 

 whole length. This great mountain range is divided into smaller 

 ranges, to which distinguishing names have been given ; but only 

 one, the Eoyal Society Eange, has been examined in detail by the 

 expedition. The rocks that compose the range are conveniently 

 separated into four distinct groups — namely, gneisses, granites, 

 sandstones, and dolerites. The sandstone, to which I propose to 

 give the name Beacon Sandstone Formation, provides a convenient 

 stratigraphical datum - line, with reference to which the other 

 phenomena may be considered. 



(i) The Gneissic Boohs occur at sea-level and below a sequence of 

 rocks which is at least 12,000 feet thick, and may be safely regarded 



DECADE V. — VOL. III. — NO. II. 6 



