4:74c v Scientific Intelligence. 



II. Geology and Natural History. 



1. Western Australia Geological Survey. — The study of the 

 mineral resources of Western Australia during the year 1917 has 

 resulted in the addition of five bulletins to the already creditable 

 list of publications of the Western Australia Survey. Bulletin 

 71, "The Gold Belt North of Southern Cross including Westo- 

 nia," by T. Blatchford, and C. S. Honman, is the third and 

 last report dealing with the Yilgarn Goldfield — a region chiefly of 

 pre-Cambrian rocks which present some unusual features. Bul- 

 letin 73, "The Geology of the North Coolgardie Goldfield: The 

 Yerilla District," by C. S. Honman, R. A. Farquharson, and 

 J. T. Jutson, deals with a series of sediments, volcanics, and 

 intrusive rocks which closely resemble the Huronian of the Lake 

 Superior region. Bulletin 74, "Miscellaneous Reports," con- 

 tains ten short papers on gold, phosphate, graphite, and clay. 

 Bulletin 75, "A Geological Reconnaissance of the Country 

 between Laverton and the South Australian Border including 

 part of the Mount Margaret Goldfield," by H. W. B. Talbot 

 and E. de C. Clarke, presents the salient geological features of 

 a region heretofore unknown. The 500 miles of traverse with 

 a carefully equipped camel train were over a peneplained region 

 of remarkable flatness at an average elevation above sea-level 

 of about 1500 feet. Low mesas and knobs of igneous rock rise 

 above the surface, and the sand ridges which characterize central 

 Australia are here well represented. The geological formations 

 studied are metamorphosed dolerites, granites, and porphyry 

 dikes of pre-Cambrian age, lavas, conglomerates, and limestones 

 of Ordovician ( ? ) age, and the highly interesting Wilkinson 

 Range Series — horizontally bedded sandstones, clay stones, and 

 bowlder beds of glacier origin. This series extends over an 

 undefined but very large area and leads to the conclusion that 

 southward-floating icebergs were depositing detritus in latitude 

 26° 30' S. during late Mesozoic or Tertiary age. Bulletin 76, 

 "Interim Report on the Graphite Deposits at Munglinup, Eucla 

 Division, " by T. Blatchford, is the first of a series of regional 

 reports on graphite. The Munglinup ore appears to be in part 

 the alteration of pegmatite and in part the product of sheared 

 and weathered basic rock. h. e. g. 



2. The New Zealand Institute Science Congress, Christ- 

 church, 1919. — The July, 1919, number of the New Zealand 

 Journal of Science and Technology is given up to papers, discus- 

 sions, and resolutions of the Science Congress held at Christ- 

 church. In many respects this Congress was the most signifi- 

 cant scientific event in the history of New Zealand. The war 

 had shown the relatively backward state of scientific investiga- 

 tion in New Zealand, the lack of coordination of research, and 

 absence of financial support for the study of problems bearing 



