xlviii PROCEEDINGS, AUGUST. 



the mountain preserved, but objected to the artificial improvements 

 advocated. 



Mr. Stephens corroborated what Mr. Grant had said, but thought 

 the police might take the trouble to ascertain where the tree ferns taken 

 came from. 



Mr. Pekkin said that the unalienated reserve comprised thousands 

 of acres, and the destruction was going on there as well. He only 

 wished to plant exotics around the proposed springs. 



THE GEOLOGY OF THE SCOTTSDALE LINE. 



Mr. T. Stephens drew attention to several specimens from the tunnel 

 on the Scottsdale Railway, kindly furnished by the Engineer- in- Chief 

 (Mr. Fiiicham.) The tunnel is to be carried through a ridge of that 

 series of rocks striking more or less north and south which are to be 

 found at intervals along the whole of the N. Coast, and may be generally 

 described as silurian, the subdivision of the primary rocks of Tasmania 

 being impracticable in the present condition of our knowledge of their 

 several relations. The rocks at the tunnel comprise bands of clay 

 slates, schists, and sandstones, among which are quartzose bands of 

 intense hardness which have caused trouble. The tunnel is between 25 and 

 26 miles from Launceston and nearly half a mile long, somewhat more than 

 half of which is now pierced, gradient 1 in 39. Proceeding towards 

 Launceston the silurian rocks, Mr. Stephens said, become overlaid by those 

 of upper palaeozoic age with the common fossils of that formation, a few 

 of which were exhibited. There is in places an impure limestone, which 

 is closely allied to, but probably on a lower horizon than the interesting 

 foraminiferous limestone associated with scattered remains of the coal 

 measures of the Piper's River district, specimens of which he (Mr. 

 Stephens) had brought under the notice of the Society several years ago. 

 Mr. Stephens said, passing out of the region of sedimentary rocks, the 

 line going towards Launceston traverses a very difficult country, both 

 for engineering work and construction ; as, indeed, is the case along the 

 greater part of the route. The prevailing rock here is massive 

 diabase. When within a few miles of Launceston the line 

 passes over the tertiary formation overlying the lower hills to 

 the N.E. of Launceston, which presents no novel features. In showing 

 the various rock specimens, Mr. Stephens pointed out how the partial 

 decomposition of sulphide of iron had bleached and destroyed the 

 portions of a purple-tinted paper, which were in contact with it. 



Mr. Grant said he knew the district well, though he did not know 

 the country above the route of the railway, which was almost a terra 

 incognita, and any information concerning it, especially with regard 

 to the agricultural land, would be valuable. He believed the opening 

 of the railway would be productive of much good, as there were rich 

 districts there, 



NOTES AND EXHIBITS. 



The Secretary (Mr. A. Morton) drew attention to a large and 

 valuable collection lately presented by the trustees of the Australian 

 Museum, Sydney, to the Tasmanian Museum. The collection con- 

 sisted of a series of valuable casts, chiefly from the cave Breccia, 

 Wellington caves, New South Wales : — No. 1. A cast of the right 

 lower jaw of the Thylacoleo carnifex or Pouched Lion of Australia, a 

 carnivorous marsupial of the Australian tertiary period, No. 2. Casts 

 of bones belonging to an emu found in the same caves. No. 3. Portion 

 of incisor of large fossil wombat. No. 4, Cast of portion of leg bones, 

 etc., of a large marsupial found also in the Wellington caves 

 ( Di2)rotodon S]J.), and several fossil bones of the kangaroo, cast of 

 a portion of a tail of a gigantic fossil lizard ; this fossil was obtained 



