102 Physical Features of the Australian Alps. 



eastern affluents find their sources amid the perennial springs 

 issuing from the highest of our Australian Alps, Mount 

 Kosciusko. One of these affluents, the Pilot River (rising at 

 Mount Pilot, 6020 feet, a coned peak), has deposits of stream 

 tin on its upper courses now being tested. Several of the 

 ■western affluents are auriferous ; while its most southern 

 affluent, the Limestone Creek, runs through a patch of 

 crystalline (marbleiferous) limestone of Devonian age, on 

 which are situated some fine caves, the stalactites being 

 more pearly and translucent than any others I have seen 

 in the colony, while the calcitic crystals which line the 

 sides of the caverns are exceedingly beautiful in appear- 

 ance. 



The Mitta Mitta source basin (the subject of this paper) 

 has not only the greatest surface diversity, but supports the 

 largest population — mining, pastoral, and agricultural — 

 scattered over its area. Within it is situate the Omeo 

 township and its gold workings along the Livingstone Creek, 

 the Omeo Plains agricultural settlement, the gold workings 

 at head of the Gibbo River and at Wombat Creek. 



The Tambo source basin has also pastoral, mining, and 

 agricultural operations carried on within its area, quartz 

 and alluvial mining on its western affluent, Swift's Creek, 

 and an agricultural settlement at Bindi, situate on a patch 

 of fossiliferous limestone of Middle Devonian age, inter- 

 sected by an eastern affluent, Bindi Creek. 



The Mitchell source basin has principally mining and 

 pastoral interests within its area. Its northern affluent, the 

 Dargo River, rising at the Divide near Mount Hotham, and 

 draining the Dargo High Plains, has a patch of open, undu- 

 lating granite country, and some rich alluvial flats, a short 

 distance above its junction with the parent stream. On the 

 latter flats is situated the Dargo settlement, where sufficient 

 agricultural and dairy produce is raised to supply the 

 elevated mining township of Grant, and the quartz mining 

 operations being carried on in the surrounding hills. A 

 western affluent — the Wonnangatta — finds its principal 

 sources in the Snowy Plains tableland. 



The delineation of this source basin, with the more 

 important geological and botanical characteristics, will, I 

 trust, form the subject-matter of a subsequent paper. 



