Mines and Mineral Statistics. 
193 
and in it analysis has detected the pi'esence of gold, though some 
quartz Amins at the north end contained none. 
My impression at first was that the lignite is recent, hut I place 
the deposits under the present head because it may be possible, 
notwitlistanding the opinion of a botanical friend whose judg- 
ment is AA'orthy of esteem, the plants arc not recent. Earon Von 
Mueller, to Avhoin I submitted them, hesitated to express an 
opinion. They arc deposited in clays of various hinds, chiefly 
Avhite. Some of the hardened clinker-like sands covering the 
clays remind me of the sands on the coast of Dorset, at Studland 
and Bourne mouth. If this be really a Tertiary locality, it does 
not contradict the general assertion at the commencement of this 
section, for no shells of any kind luive been detected in any part 
of these beds. SAvampy and stunted plants still groAv on the 
sands, which are very wet, and probably reproduce the pheno- 
mena beneath them, AAuth the exception of the white clays 
Avhich wei'e in part deriAmd from the decomposed felspathic 
matter of the porphyry. In various parts of MaTieero there are 
lignitc-like local thin deposits, but on analysis they have proved 
vuilueless. 
By far the most interesting discovery that has heon made in 
relation to the plant beds, Avas realized in the basaltic district of 
the Forest between Orange and Carcoar. 
The description of several ncAV genera and species of fossil 
prints has been given in “ Observations on JS^eio Ver/efalle l^ossils 
of the Anriferous Driftsf hy Baron F. Yon Miicller, C.M.O., 
M.D., Ph. D., F.R.S., and L.8., GoA’ernment Botanist. ; pub- 
lished hy the “^Mining Department” of Auctoria, 1874. These 
have been discovered, not only in the P'orcst, but also in A^ictoria, 
at JIaddon, Xintinghol, Tanjol, and at Bcccliworth. Tlicy i?eem 
to belong to the later Pliocene formation, and to consist of plants 
allied to the present forest-belt of Fasterii Australia. An 
abstract of the first account of them Avas read before the Geolo- 
gical Society, on 22nd June, 1870, and aftevAvards co])ied from 
the (Quarterly Touraal (vol. 27) into the Gcoloaical Maejazine^ 
1870, p, 300. 
They consist of the folloAving 
Spondylostrobiis . . , 
Phymatocaryon . . . 
„ ... 
Treinatocaryon . . . 
Eliytidotlieca 
,, ... 
Plesiocapparis 
Celypliina 
Odontooaryon 
species, VIZ. 
Smjjth ll 
ALaclirijib 
anrjnlnre 
McLeUani 
Ltjiichii 
pleioclinis 
prisca’ 
McCojfi 
Afac Grejoril 
1C 
