262 C. A. SUSSMILCH. 



Devonian Period (The Kanimbla Epoch) and coverted the 

 greater part of this State into dry land; just how far these 

 movements affected the Devonian sediments in the Glou- 

 cester District is not yet quite clear, but there is some 

 reason for believing that they were folded and uplifted. 



In Lower Carboniferous time (The Burindi Epoch) the 

 Gloucester District was again under marine conditions, but 

 the water was then undoubtedly shallow and not very far 

 removed from a shore-line, as evidenced by the beds of 

 coarse conglomerate which were deposited. A shallow 

 water marine fauna, consisting mainly of brachiopods, 

 trilobites, corals and crinoids, inhabited this sea. The sea 

 floor was slowly subsiding, and upon it was deposited a 

 a great thickness of mudstones, tuffs, limestones and con- 

 glomerates, while at times volcanic eruptions resulted in 

 the pouring out of thick lava flows (keratophyres) over the 

 sea bottom. 



The long continued subsidence of the Burindi Epoch was 

 finally interrupted by an upward movement, which did not 

 fold the Burindi sediments, but elevated the region into 

 dry land and ushered in the Kuttung Epoch. This new 

 epoch was marked in this district mainly by intense vol- 

 canic activity and the pouring out of a thick series of lava 

 flows (rhyolites). From here on there is a considerable 

 gap in the geological record; just what happened is not 

 yet clear, but apparently terrestrial conditions continued, 

 and there may have been considerable removal of the Kut- 

 tung Series by sub-serial denudation. Towards the close 

 of the Permo-Carboniferous Period (the Upper Goal Measure 

 Epoch) part of an extensive freshwater lake covered the 

 Gloucester District, and on the slowly subsiding floor of 

 this lake a thick series of shales, sandstones, conglomerates 

 and coal seams was deposited. 



The close of the Palaeozoic Era was marked by orogenic 

 earth movements on a grand scale, both the Carboniferous 

 and Permo-Carboniferous strata were strongly folded and a 

 series of high mountain ranges produced. 



