568 PROCEEDINGS OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. [June 25. 



its peculiar lithological character throughout. The plants there 

 obtained by Mr. Wilkinson were pronounced by Prof. M'Coy to be 

 allied to the Lower Miocene or Upper Eocene European flora ; in 

 fact a few genera and one or two species are identical — for instance, 

 Cinnamomum polymorphum, a plant, according to Heer, common in 

 the Miocene beds of (Eningen. 



I have previously stated that the conglomerate siliceous rock was 

 traced to Meredith. From this point my former colleague, Mr. 

 Reginald Murray, and myself traced it to the village of Stony Rises, 

 within about 2| miles of the Lal-Lal basin ; but there we lost all 

 traces of it. That it was connected with the Lal-Lal lignite in a 

 similar manner to that of Morrison's Diggings we did not prove ; but 

 the facts I have enumerated tend to that belief ; and whatever may 

 be the relative value attached to the terms Miocene and Pliocene as 

 applied to Victorian geology, I think it will ultimately be proved 

 that the two lignite deposits of Morrison's Diggings and Lal-Lal are 

 closely connected as regards their age and mode of formation. 



Mr. Wilkinson was of opinion that the Maud beds represented a 

 lacustrine deposit with one of its margins formed by the Steiglitz 

 ranges. An old valley, 300 to 400 feet deep, was traced from these 

 hills down to the Moorabool river, and there appears to have entered 

 this old lake. The physical geology of the surrounding districts sup- 

 ports the idea that this was a lake with many rivers flowing into it. 



With regard to the plants from the Bacchus-Marsh beds, Prof. 

 M'Coy says : " I have no doubt the fossil leaves from this locality 

 indicate a lower Miocene or Upper Eocene Tertiary flora, in which 

 lauraceous plants form a remarkable feature. All the species seem 

 new ; but leaves of Laurus, Cinnamomum, Daphnogene, and possibly 

 Acer, are scarcely to be distinguished from sj>ecies referred to those 

 genera in the leaf-beds of Rott, near Bonn, and (Eningen, especially 

 the Cinnamomum polymorphum." (R. B. Smyth, Ex. Essay, 1872, 

 p. 15, note.) 



Lignite has been plentifully found in the auriferous " leads " of 

 Ballarat, Daylesford, and other localities, principally formed of the 

 remains of trees and plants belonging to genera which form a 

 portion of the existing flora, as BanJcsia, Eucalyptus, &c, indicating 

 a younger age than the Lal-Lal lignite. Fruits of a new genus of 

 Coniferas, Spondylostrobus, Von Miiller (S. Smythii, Von Muller), 

 together with other plants, have also been obtained from the 

 Haddon Leads near Smythesdale (Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc. vol. xxvi. 



p; 610)*. 



A survey of the Ballarat district is, I believe, at present in course 

 of completion by Mr. Murray. This will, I have no doubt, confirm 

 or correct, as the case may be, some of the views here expressed. 



* Dr. von Muller has since considerably increased the number of both genera 

 and species of plants from the Haddon Leads. The remains are principally 

 fruits. See the 'Reports of the Mining Surveyors and Registrars,' Victoria. 

 1871. 



