i 
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ARTESIAN WATER IN ROCKS OTHER THAN CRETACEOUS. 409 
ing a recent trip through parts of Queensland and New South 
Wales. 
The railway now in course of construction between Narrabri 
and Moree passes over black-soil plains, on which there is no 
permanent water supply which could be utilised for the locomo- 
tives, and it was an enquiry by the Railway Commissioners as to 
whether there were any prospects of obtaining artesian water at 
Woolabrar, on Dobikin run, about midway between Narrabri and 
Moree, which led to my making an examination of this country. 
The rocks penetrated by wells on the Dobikin run were found to 
consist of white and greyish sandstones, bluish-grey sandy shales, 
brownish clays, and nodules of clay ironstone. <A characteristic 
feature of these sediments was that they crumbled or became 
disintegrated freely on exposure to the atmosphere, owing no 
doubt to the quantity of water contained in them. In these rocks 
were found numerous plant impressions, amongst which Z'eniop- 
_ teris Daintreei, (McCoy), a fossil plant characteristic of the 
Mesozoic coal measures of Victoria, the Clarence River series of 
New South Wales, and the Ipswich coal measures of Queensland, 
Was readily recognizable. Another plant from this locality was 
identified by Mr. W. §, Dun, Assistant Palontologist to the 
Geological Survey, as belonging to the genus Baiera. 
: Similar rocks were observed on the Terry-Hie-Hie run, about 
twenty-five miles to the north-east, and still further north at an 
old shaft known as Moloney’s well, fourteen miles east of Moree, 
Teniopteris Daintreei was again obtained. On arriving at Moree 
40 examination of the drillings showed that, in their lithological 
characters, the rocks penetrated by the bore very strongly 
fesembled those met with at Dobikin and Terry-Hie-Hie, and a 
Subsequent examination of the contents of the core-box in Sydney, 
nabled me to detect Teniopteris Daintreet in one of the few 
Solid pieces of rock which had been obtained by ‘ reaming,’—the 
Sreater part of the drillings having been extracted in a fine 
Hi of division, owing to the percussive action of the Canadian 
