Upper Tertiary . 
95 
CHAPTER IX. 
Upper Tertian/ Formations . Marine Beds . Fluviatile De- 
posit s. Fossils. Vegetable,, Marine, and Land Animals . 
Newer Volcanic Rocks . Areas occupied . Points of 
Eruption . Tertiary Deposits . Sand-dunes. 
Upper Tertiary. 
Under this head are Included all aqueous deposits, marine or 
tluviatile, and associated lava-flows, younger than the Older Vol- 
canic, and older than the Newest Volcanic rocks, which latter are 
taken as the latest products of the Tertiary period ; deposits 
newer than they being regarded as Post Tertiary and recent. 
On the geological sketch-map all theaqueously deposited forma- 
tions, newer than Middle Tertiary, are distinguished by one colour 
ns Upper and Post Tertiary ; but on the detailed geological maps 
are indicated a number of subdivisions into Older Pliocene Newer 
Pliocene, Post Pliocene, and Alluvial. 
In someof the maps the reference of deposits to European equiva- 
lents lias been omitted, and the formations have been classed in 
their order of sequence as “oldest ” and “ older ” gold drift 
“ recent ” and “ most recent,” or in progress. In many places the 
lines of subdivision are clearly indicated by lava-flows, by tho 
character of the deposits themselves, and by the physical configura- 
tion of the country, but in others no such lines of demarcation 
exist. The classification of the deposits is the more difficult on 
account of the scarcity of fossils whereby the true positions in the 
Newer Tertiary series of any particular beds could be ascertained. 
As in the case of tho Miocene or Middle Tertiary formations' 
wc have, among those of the Upper Tertiary series, beds deposited 
by marine agency, and deposits clearly due to fluviatile action. 
The marine Upper Tertiary deposits consist principally of fine 
and coarse ferruginous sandy beds, in some cases hard, in other 
soft and friable, gravels, conglomerates, sands, clays, arul mud 
shales. 
They are l'ouud resting on the Older Volcanic, the Miocene 
beds, or the Mesozoic and Pnheozoic rocks, from the coast-line to 
the flanks of tho mountain systems, and up all the main valleys, 
to elevations within 1,000 feet above sea-level ; they also lie on 
the low spurs of the northern slopes of the ranges on tho fall 
towards tho Murray. They have been much denuded during Post 
Tertiary times, and are, consequently, wanting in many places, 
while in others they are covered by newer accumulations or the 
Newer Volcanic lava-flows. 
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