THE CONTINENT 



phehis, Pterophyllum, Sagcnoptcris, Thinnfeldia, etc., 

 all of which also lived in Australia in Jurassic or 

 Triassic times. This would seem to indicate a land 

 connection between the two continents in Mesozoic 

 times. The plants were found in a hard slaty rock, 

 and show a lacustrine rather than a marine environ- 

 ment (see FigTire ii). 



At Snow Hill Island, one hundred miles to the south, 

 Dr. Nordenskjold collected abundant Cretaceous fos- 

 sils. These imply the existence of a mild climate with 

 comparatively warm ocean currents at this period. 

 Corals are abundant, such as Cycloseris, Parasmilia and 

 Oculina. Cephalopods like PhyUoccras, Lyfoceras and 

 Desmoceras have been described by Kilian from this 

 locality. From Seymour Island close to Snow Hill 

 comes a suite of Tertiary fossils of which the leaves of 

 Araucaria and Fagiis are specially interesting. These 

 show that the relatively warm conditions persisted into 

 Oligocene or Miocene times. In marine strata of about 

 the same age numerous bird bones were discovered, 

 which have been referred to five new genera of 

 penguins. They seem to be akin to the penguin bones 

 of Eocene Age from Oamaru (N. Z.). Finally at 

 Cockburn Island, near Snow Hill, Anderson found a 

 conglomerate i6o meters above sea level containing 

 numerous Pecten shells. This is probably of the PHo- 

 cene Age. 



Adelie Land and adjacent areas. The region ex- 

 plored by Mawson's parties seems to exhibit much 

 the same geological formations as were found near 

 AlacMurdo Sound. At Horn Bluff (150° E.) cUffs 



105 



