252 



beds are thin, or absent, and foooiiiferous limestones, 

 arenaceous clays, clays, or sandstones immediately rest upon 

 the bed rock, the latter is coloured in a variety of shades, 

 such as delicate pink and silvery-grey, light green to a slate 

 colour, intense purples, dull greens, and reds. The proximity 

 of the carbonaceous deposits has resulted in a bleaching of 

 the adjacent older formations. 



Some bores have shown quartz or ironstone to occur 

 in the bed rock immediately beneath the beds in which the 

 coal series are found. When this occurs the quartz and iron- 

 stone are generally located near to the surface, indicating 

 that such occurrences, by their greater resistance to weather- 

 ing, led to elevations in the contour during the time immedi- 

 ately preceding the deposition of the brown coal series. Some- 

 times, when the quartz and ironstone have been penetrated, 

 large lumps of undecomposed slate have been brought up in 

 the boring tools, suggesting the presence of mineral reefs and 

 lode breccia. 



In addition to the bores, a number of shafts have been 

 sunk in the district, several of which have penetrated the 

 coal, and, in two places, considerable underground develop- 

 ment gives an opportunity to examine the coal in situ. About 

 700 tons of coal have been raised, the quality of which may 

 be gathered from particulars given of Bore D, which includes 

 an analysis by Mr. Chapman, at the instance of the Mines 

 Department. 



Associated with the coal seam are remains of trees, still 

 showing the original cellular structure, some with the original 

 pith, which is grey and soft. The grain of the wood in some 

 of these old trees is so well preserved that the timber may 

 be splintered like deal. 



These subfossil trees occur generally in a horizontal posi- 

 tion within the enveloping carbonaceous matrix. This matrix 

 contains small globules of a yellow resinous substance, and, 

 occasionally, larger nodules of a darker resin, similar to 

 yacka gum, in shape and colour, and a characteristic fossil 

 leaf showing veination and cellular structure. This bed has 

 the appearance of an old peaty deposit. Masses of the fossil 

 leaves, sometimes J-in. in thickness, occur. In some places 

 interbedded arenaceo-carbonaceous shales are met with in 

 the coal deposit, indicating a local variation of conditions 

 of deposition. 



Conversion of the vegetable remains to a highly 

 bituminous material is often observed; also the complete 

 replacement of the original woody tissue by sulphide of iron, 

 forming a pseudomorph in pyrites and showing the original 



