22 Evidences of a Glacial Epoch in Victoria 



Kraiise, in his report upon the Otway Ranges, describes 

 extensive marine deposits of pliocene age up to 1200 feet 

 above the sea (Geo. Sur. Rep., 1874, p. 103); and in another 

 report he has described horizontal tertiary sea beaches on 

 the flanks of the Grampians at an altitude of 900 feet (id., 

 p. 124), and another near Ararat at 1100 feet (G. S. K, 

 Oct., 1874). 



At Creswick there are pliocene marine deposits at eleva- 

 tions which vary between 1420 feet and 1720 feet (Lock's 

 Gold, p. 931). 



A. W. Howitt has described similar tertiary deposits near 

 Mount Taylor, at an elevation of about 600 or 700 feet (B. 

 Smyth's Goldfields, p. 123). 



At Portland we get further evidence. The beach cliffs 

 are of a kind of pliocene chalk, which is known as Globe- 

 gerina ooze because it is full of the foraminifera Globegerina 

 bulloides and Orbulina universa, which do not live in 

 waters of less depth than 1500 to 1600 feet. They are a well- 

 determined form of deep-sea life. To expose these deep-sea 

 beds above water the sea level must have fallen 1500 to 1600 

 feet within pliocene times, and this amount of alteration in 

 the relative level of sea and land fairly agrees in degree with 

 the evidence from the mountains (Woods' Geo. of Portland, 

 pp. 14-16). 



Again, on the flanks of Tower Hill, near Warrnambool, a 

 well was sunk 123 feet. The first 63 feet was through vol- 

 canic ash, and the last 60 feet was through clay. At this 

 depth the skeleton of a dingo was found. The dingo is 

 believed to have been introduced to Australia by man; and 

 in any case it is a late introduction. Yet after it died the 

 ocean covered that part of the country, and had time to 

 deposit many feet of sediment before it retired (Q. J. G. S., 

 1857, p. 227). 



The Rev. Julian Woods has described a tertiary marine 

 limestone on Tapley's Hill, near Adelaide, which occurs 

 1000 feet above sea level ; and another observer, in a paper 

 contributed to the Adelaide Philosophical Society (A. P. S. J., 

 1877-9), states that there are traces of submersion to 800 

 feet in late tertiary times. 



Western Australia has risen above the waves since the 

 pliocene era closed, but I cannot ascertain that any measure- 

 ments have been recorded. 



As to JNew Zealand, Hutton declares himself strongly con- 

 vinced that the Canterbury Plains, now 1700 feet above the 



