[Proc. Roy. Soc. Victoria, 32 (N.S.), Vr. II., 1920.] 



Art XVI. — Notes on a Collection of Tertiary Fossils from 

 Ooldea and Watson, South Australia, 



BY 



FRKDEHICK CHAPMAN, A.L.S. 



Palaeontolof^ist to the National Museum, Melbourne ; 

 Hon. Palaeont. Geol. Surv. Vict. 



(With Plates XVI., XVII. and Text Figure.) 



[Read 11th December, 1919.] 



Introductory. 



On account of the scarcity of information regarding fossils o<.-cur- 

 ring in the area traversed by the construction of the Iransconti- 

 nental Railway from Port Augusta to Kalgoorlie, it seems advis- 

 able to put on record some notes of the specimens now in the 

 National Museum. 



The fossils under consideration were collected by Messrs. F. A. 

 Cudmore, K. C. Chandkr and Dr. T. Griffith Taylor, B.E., B.A., 

 F.G.S. M)-. CAidmore obtained a large collection of Miocene fos- 

 sils, mainly as casts and moulds, in his recent trip to Ooldea and 

 Watson, and a selection of these he has given to the Museum. I 

 am also indebted to him for the photographs here reproduced, and 

 foi- detailed information of the various fossiliferous exposures 

 north and south of the railway. 



Mr. R. C. Chandler was successful in <)])taining a number of fos- 

 sils in this locality during the early liikstory of the line's constrac- 

 tion, when engaged in acquiring natural history specimens for the 

 Museum. 



Dr. Griffith Taylor also collected a few fossils during his recvnt 

 journey to Central South Australia, and has kindly donated the 

 coral specimens — one of which is here figured— to the State coIU-c- 

 tion. 



Localities of Collection. 



The Ooldea Soaki has l)een known to ti-avellers from Fowler's Bay 

 for many years. It is situated on tlk- Nullaboor Plains, west of 

 the sand-hill country, alx)ut 100 miles N.W. of Fowler's Bay, and 

 about three miles north of the railway line. Various outri(.i»s of 



1. See S. A. White. The Kinii, Jan. 1919, p. 1«». 



