54 1^' 0. Teale: 



1.— Introduction. 



llie existence of serpentine and associated basic igneous rocks 

 in the Howqua Kiver to the south-west of Mount BuUer was first 

 referred to by Mr. A. M. Howitt,! in 1907, in the Records of the 

 •Geological Survey in a short note with an accompanying sketch 

 map. Mr. Howitt's visit was an extremely short one, allowing 

 only about a day in the field, and his main object w^as to report 

 on the supposed occurrence of pliosphate of alumina similar to that 

 found near Mansfield. He, however, was able at the same time to 

 note the outcrop of a considerable extent of basic igneous rocks 

 and black cherts. Ihe latter he regarded as probably Heathcotian, 

 on account of their resemblance to similar cherts at Heathcote, which 

 had then been recently placed in that group by Professor Gregory. 2 

 The igneous rocks he described as amphibolites, which he regarded 

 as intrusive intO' the Lower Palaeozoic and of Devonian age. He 

 also obtained a graptolite from the Palaeozoic slates which the 

 late Dr. T.. S. Hall referred to as a Monograptus,^ thus indicating 

 Silurian strata. The amount of information collected by Mr. 

 Howitt in a short time, and in such rough and mountainous 

 •country, is remarkable. The writer having spent considerable time 

 in the Mount Wellington district in Gippsland, examining the area 

 where serpentine and associated Upper Cambrian limestones 

 occur, came to the conclusion that an important axial line existed 

 in the Wellington region. The extension of the line to the north 

 passes through inliers of closely similar rocks on the Howqua, and 

 at Dookie. 



When, therefore. Professor Skeats suggested that I should take 

 up the study of the How^qua region, wdth the assistance of a Govern- 

 ment Research Scholarship, I was very glad to avail myself of 

 the opportunity. I would like at this stage to specially express 

 my indebtedness to Professor Skeats for his interest and assistance 

 in this work. He not only visited the out of the way region on the 

 Howqua, spending about a week in the field with me, but very 

 kindly conducted me over the Lancefield and Heathcote areas, 

 w^hich ma^^ be looked upon as the type occurrence of the much 

 "debated Heathcotian series. 



This work has been invaluable for comparative purposes in deal- 

 ing with the Howqua region. In the Geological Laboratory of the 

 University, too, I have had advantage of full access to the numerous 

 slides and hand specimens from these regions. It is very helpful 



