Some careful boring may be needed to search for gold-bearing silts and 
beach sands. This would apply not only to the older Tertiary high level 
marine deposits, but also to the later deposits continuous with the Pitfield 
leads. 
About Illibarook itself some of the finer shore deposits could be pros¬ 
pected at a small expense, and if any of these were found worth cyaniding 
it might be the means of opening up a considerable industry, because they 
are certain to extend over considerable areas, and the improvements in 
cyaniding have been so great that the costs can be paid for about \ dwt. 
of gold per ton. 
[20.5.09.'] 
A VOLCANIC NECK NEAR MEREDITH. 
By W. H. Ferguson. 4 
What appears to be a pipe of an ancient volcano is situated about 3 
miles east of Meredith and about \ mile west of the' Moorabool River in an 
allotment marked “ 84 a. o r. 5 p., A. McPherson,” on the parish map; 
this allotment is west of allotment No. 7 of Y, parish of Moreep. The 
country for the most part consists of Ordovician slates and sandstones, 
which yield a light, loamy, rather poor soil. On the east side of the river, 
there is some basalt in allotment No. 5 of Y, parish of Moreep. The soil 
of the pipe differs remarkably from that of the surrounding rocks, and 
supplies over an acre of extremely fertile black clayey loam; it is friable, 
and does not crack much when dry. The land is owned and worked as a 
garden and orchard by Mr. J. H. Young. The orchard has a gentle slope 
to a flat gully, and is surrounded by steep ridges of Ordovician rocks. The 
\ 
Fig. 32.—Sketch plan of Volcanic Neck near Meredith. Scale about 4 chains to 1 inch. 
rock which filled the pipe is quite decomposed at the surface. Scattered 
over tire orchard are numerous pieces of hornblende varying from the size 
of grains of wheat up to one piece 4 inches in diameter, which was pre¬ 
sented to the Department by Mr. J. H. Young. Through the soil there is 
