NOTES ON THE OCCURRENCE OF A FOSSIL 

 TREE EMBEDDED IN DRIFT ON THE 

 NORTH-WEST COAST OF TASMANIA. 



By T. Stephens, M.A., F.G.S. 



(Read 12th July, 1909.) 



Some forty years ago I brought under the notice 

 ■of this society the Tertiary marine formation near the 

 mouth of the River Inghs, and the underlying stretch 

 of moraine matter, with large erratics, which extends 

 eastward for a distance of about five miles. As a result 

 ■of a recent visit to this part of the coast I have to report 

 the occurrence, off Woody Hill, near low-water mark, 

 of a relic of the ancient forests of Tasmania preserved 

 tmder somewhat peculiar conditions. 



The eastern boundary of the above-mentioned 

 glacial drift, so far as is yet ascertainable, is nearly 

 opposite the residence of Mr. C. J. Mackenzie. Here 

 the ancient slates and schists come prominently into 

 view at low tide, and about half a mile eastward they 

 rise in a low bluff and pass under the basalt of Woody 

 Hill to the south. To the east of this bluff in the hol- 

 lows between the ridges of the ancient rocks, which are 

 highly inclined and have a northerly strike, are masses 

 of consolidated drift of a totally different character, the 

 rolled pebbles in which are only such as might be de- 

 rived from the indurated sandstones, slates, and schists 

 that are the bed-rocks of the whole coast, and there- 

 fore they are probably of local origin. This drift has been 

 extensively denuded by the force of the seas breaking 

 upon the shore during the gradual elevation of the 

 ■coast line in comparatively recent times, but probably 

 extends southward under the low sand dunes and allu- 

 vium which lie to the east of Woody Hill. Whether it 

 is more recent than or anterior to the basalt of Woody 

 Hill, which is of late Tertiary age, is at present uncer- 

 tain. 



