
1891.] Geology and Paleontology. 907 
I left Chatham on September rst for Tower Island. This island was 
very interesting, having never been visited before. Creagrus was found 
there in great numbers, breeding, besides Fregetta, Sula, and Phzethon. 
Of Fregetta a considerable number of embryos and nestlings were 
procured. Of land birds the TARATA —- were found: Geo- 
piza, two species; Cactornis, one species; Nesomimus, one species ; 
Certhidea, one species ; Dendrceca, one sites the dove and owl were 
also observed. Not a single specimen of Tropidurus was seen ; Am- 
blyrhynchus is frequent, but small. 
From Tower we went to Bindloe. All the birds collected by Dr 
Habel were also obtained. Tropidurus is very common, and quite dis- 
tinct from the Abingdon form. Nesomimus, which had not been 
recorded before from this island, is a very abundant bird. 
On Abingdon we remained only a very short time. oe new is 
to be added to the results of Dr. Habel and the ‘‘Albatros: 
We reached Guayaquil September 16th, and sailed to ‘ides on 
the r9th on the ‘‘ Santiago.’’—G. Baur, Clark University. 
GEOLOGY AND PALEONTOLOGY. 
The Desert Sandstone of Australia.—A paper by Mr. 
Charles Chewings, published in the Proceedings of the Royal Geograph- 
ical Society, June, 1891, contains the following interesting account of 
the ‘‘ desert sandstone ’’ of Central Australia : 
“At what period or periods the Lake Eyre depression was formed 
has not yet been satisfactorily decided ; but we may fairly conjecture 
that an opening at one time existed to the south into Spencer’s Gulf. 
During Cretaceous times, however, that and all other outlets were 
things of the past, and the detritus from the Macdonnell and James 
ranges, as well as many other high lands, was washed into this large 
basin, of which, so far as ascertained at present, the outline extends 
from the Coast range, situated a little south of the Gulf of Carpentaria, 
westward nearly to the overland telegraph line. It then runs north- 
east towards Lake Eyre, and, skirting the Macdonnell ranges elevation, 
curves round to the north of the Charlotte Waters telegraph station, 
in about the latitude of Lake Amadeus, which lake it approaches, if 
not includes. This is probably the western boundary of this system. 
“ From Lake Amadeus the Lake Eyre system extends northeasterly 
towards Port Augusta, takes a curve to the eastward, and runs along 


