xli. 



the subject will justify the issue o£ the " Outlines," despite 

 that imperfection which inevitably belongs to it as a pioneer 

 work. To conclude these introductory remarks, I may state 

 that the field of unexplored facts is so vast that there is ample 

 room for an army of workers, acting independently and for 

 many years to come. If amateurs would only give to the 

 Society what they know of the geology of particular localities 

 in their neighbourhood, we should make a great advance towards 

 a complete geological history of the colony. I owe to not a 

 few in the Far North, on the Murray, in the South-East, and 

 elsewhere hearty thanks for their active co-oj:>eration in my 

 geological investigations, and for the promise of future help. 

 That there are men, who are not altogether absorbed in money- 

 getting, able and willing to add to our stock of knowledge, I 

 have good reason for saying. 



LEADING PHYSICAL FEATURES OF SOUTH 

 AUSTRALIA. 



If we inspect the map of South Australia proper, we observe 

 that the mountain ranges follow the general direction of the two 

 Gulfs, St. Vincent's and Spencer. The elevated regions of the 

 southern part of the Province occupy three well-defined areas, 

 separated from each other by the gulfs mentioned ; but in their 

 northerly extension they approach each other, and to the north 

 of Lake Torrens no well-defined mountain system obtains. 

 Our ranges are rather of a composite character, consisting of 

 parallel ridges, often separated by broad and deep plain-like 

 valleys ; this feature is most prominent to the north of 

 Kooringa. 



The first group is that of the Adelaide chain, which com- 

 mences at Cape Jervis and occupies the coast line to the north 

 as far as Normanville, and to the east as far as Port Elliot, 

 and continues with varied height in a nearly north direction to 

 beyond Lake Frome, a distance of 350 miles. It attains its 

 greatest elevation in the Mount Lofty and Barossa districts, 

 and its chief highest points are Mount Lofty, 2,334 ; Kaiser- 

 stuhl, 1,973; Lagoon Hill, 2,235; and north of Burra Burra, 

 MountCone, 2,601 ; Bazorback, 2,831. It is very little interrupted 

 in its course, and that only by a few narrow gorges through which 

 are discharged our insignificant rivers, emptying themselves 

 into St. Vincent's Gulf. Two spurs are thrown off on its 

 western side within our immediate district, one terminating in 

 the sea cliffs between Marino and Morphett Vale, and the 

 second in those forming the southern boundary of Aldinga 

 Bay. 



The second group is that of the Flinder's Bange, which 

 commences in the elevated land of Northern Torke's Peninsula, 



