•S3 
Nov. i, 1885.] The Australasian Scientific Magazine. 
Mr. Wagenknecht visited Bischoff more information had been obtained, 
not only of Bischoff itself, but of the country further south. The speci- 
mens, too, ought to be considered in connection with the Meredith Range 
and Mount Heemskirk. He believed that some of the explanations of the 
German professor would throw a great deal of light on matters on which 
there had been great uncertainty, especially in regard to the green rock, 
which had always — he did not know why — been called chlorite. The 
professor said it owed its green colour to tourmaline. In confirmation of 
this, tourmaline occurred at Mount Heemskirk in chlorite veins, which 
stuck up on the side of the mountain, being harder than the surrounding 
surfaces. It was curious that at Mount Heemskirk this green rock was 
found on one side of a vein, while on the other side was quartz rock with 
tourmaline in it. At Mount Ramsay and the Meredith Range they also 
found quartz rock full of tourmaline. When the quartz porphyry decom- 
posed it became Kaolin, owing to the large percentage of felspar it con- 
tained, a specimen of which he produced. It would be interesting to have 
the paper referred to Mr. Kayser and other scientific gentlemen, with a 
request that they should make some remarks upon it. (Applause.) 
2 . General Observations regarding the Classification of the Upper 
Palaeozoic and Mesozoic Rocks of Tasmania, together with a full descrip- 
tion of all the known Tasmanian Coal Plants, including a considerable 
number of new species. By R. M. Johnston, P'.L.S., etc., etc., illustrated 
by diagrams and maps which were displayed on the walls, and referred to 
during the reading of the paper. 
Mr. Johnston, in the above paper, deals with many important questions 
connected with the proper classification, and the true relations of the im- 
portant series of rocks in Tasmania belonging to upper palaeozoic and 
mesozoic age, which include the upper coal measures of the midland and 
south-eastern parts of the island as well as the lower coal measures, which 
are well represented in the vicinity, Latrobe, or the Mersey. Elaborate 
tables were prepared by the author, showing the distribution of all the 
known coal plants of Tasmania, also of the fossils of the upper and lower 
marine beds. Sections were also prepared, showing the relations of the 
principal rocks systems to each other ; and the question of the probable 
age of the greenstone mountains and tiers was very thoroughly discussed, 
so far as it touched upon the relation with the stratified rocks with which 
the greenstone masses are so intimately associated. Mr. Johnston gave 
illustration of greenstone rocks older than the lower marine beds of upper 
palaeozoic age, and others again of a later date than the upper coal 
measures ; he is, however, inclined to the opinion that the massive green- 
stones of the mountains and tiers have been erupted prior to the deposit, 
even of the lower members of the carboniferous system. Mr. Johnston, 
in dealing with the local nomenclature of systems, is of opinion that the 
finer subdivision names of Europe will not fit the known divisions of Tas- 
manian rocks, and accordingly with Professor Hutton and others, would 
prefer local names for the sub-divisions of rocks later than the English 
“ carboniferous.” He also pointed out dangers to true classification 
which may arise by ignoring the facts of local stratigraphy, when dealing 
with imperfect fossil remains. He urges that questions of local strati- 
graphy should not be divorced from local palaeontology, and that the as- 
sociation of the stratigraphy and palaeontology of one hemisphere, is not 
always a safe guide in the determination of the actual association, in the 
other hemisphere of stratigraphy and paleontology. 
