1867.] Geology and Pahmntoloyy. 117 



been previously shown to be erroneous by Mr. David Forbes, who 

 in 1860* reported the presence of gold in Upper Oolitic strata in 

 South America due to the eruption of dioritic rocks of still younger 

 age. More recently Mr. Forbes has published! a more general 

 conclusion, to the effect that there have been two epochs of auri- 

 ferous impregnation, namely, (1) the older, or granite intrusion, 

 which is not older than the Upper Silurian, nor younger than the 

 Carboniferous strata ; and (2) the newer, or dioritic outburst, which 

 Mr. Forbes calls Post-oolitic, and which is probably as recent as 

 early Cretaceous. 



Mr. Selwyn's last report to the Government of Victoria " on 

 the probable age of the Lower Gold-drifts " j makes public a view 

 which is antagonistic to that enunciated by Mr. David Forbes. 

 He believes that the quartz-veins of Victoria belong to two groups : 

 an older, which is non-auriferous, and a younger, which is auriferous. 

 From the former he believes the Miocene gravels have been derived, 

 they being entirely barren ; and by the degradation of the latter 

 he considers that the rich Pliocene gold-drifts have been produced. 

 If this interpretation be correct, we have proof of a third period of 

 gold-impregnation, namely, in later Tertiary times. 



The last number of the Transactions of the Geological Society 

 of Glasgow (vol. ii., part 2) is a most creditable production, and 

 contains, amongst many papers of merit, one " On the Auriferous 

 Bocks and Drifts of Victoria," by Mr. W. Cameron, well worth a 

 perusal by those interested in the subject. But the paper to which 

 we must especially draw attention, is that by the Kev. H. W. 

 Crosskey " On the relation between the Glacial Deposits of Scotland 

 and those of Canada." The author infers, from a study of Dr. 

 Dawson's papers on the Canadian deposits, that " the difference 

 between the glacial fossil fauna of Canada and that now existing in 

 the Gulf of St. Lawrence is far less marked than the difference 

 between the glacial fauna of the Clyde-beds and -that now existing 

 in the Firth;" but even in Canada the difference gives a more 

 arctic character to the fossils ; and in Scotland, as is well known, 

 this arctic element is the predominant characteristic. In Canada 

 also, the beds occur in a distinct order, whereas in the Clyde-district 

 their order is only a matter of inference. Another point is that 

 the fossiliferous beds are superimposed, in both countries, on the 

 true Boulder-clay, beneath which occurs in Canada a peaty deposit 

 corresponding in position with the vegetable remains found at 

 Chapel-hall, near Airdrie. Speaking generally, about two-thirds 

 of the Scottish species occur fossil in Canada, leading to the 



* ' Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society,' vol. xvii. pp. 31 and 34. 

 t ' Geological Magazine,' vol. iii. p. 385. September, 1866. 

 \ Keprinted, nearly entire, in the 'Geological Magazine,' vol. iii. p. 457, 

 October, 1866. 



