12 
rocks are the usual laccoliths of diabase, 
so common tn south-eastern Tasmania. 
As this lock was described in last year's 
report, detailed reference is unnecessary. 
It is of upper mesozoic age, of medium 
grain and basic composition. It forms the. 
top of Mount Wellington, the Western 
Piers, and many other mountains and 
hills. A good example is seen at Cape 
Bernier, which was passed on the way to 
Maria Island. Here the diabase intru¬ 
sion can be seen very clearly. 
After the diabase intrusion, the pre¬ 
sent era of denudation began with oscilla¬ 
tions of land and soa. The latest move¬ 
ment has been a slight elevation, which 
has given rise to numerous raised beach¬ 
es. A good example occurs at the isth¬ 
mus ioining north and south Maria Is¬ 
land. 
The presence of the granite is an en¬ 
couraging feature in searching for mineral 
deposits, which must occur, if at all, m 
the pre-Devonian rocks. The granite is 
very common in Tasmania, and is re¬ 
sponsible for the mineral wealth of the 
Hand. So far as Maria Island is concern¬ 
ed, no mines have been discovered, though 
a couple of prospecting shafts remain 
from the Bernacchi era. The rock would 
form a good building stone, but can be 
worked better at other localities, notably 
near Scottsdale. 
The limestone has already been worked 
for cement making and lime burning, and 
might vet be the mainstay of the island. 
However, the presence of quartz in the 
reck would reduce the grade of lime ob¬ 
tainable, though perhaps not to any 
great extent. The rock is very hard, and 
is well suited for a building store. It 
would probably form a good substitute for 
marble. Freestone quarries could also be 
op n d up, though the difficulties of trans¬ 
port would be troublesome. 
Maria Island is geologically similar to 
Sohouten Island, where coal seams have 
been v.orked extensively, and tire possi¬ 
bility of tihe occurrence of either tile low¬ 
er or upper coal measures should not be 
overlooked. 
Tn the preliminary building for the ce¬ 
ment works, many bricks were made. 
These do not seem to have been of very 
good quality, but it may be well that 
the clay used might by more modern 
methods produce good bricks, but 
whether they could compete against those 
made at New Town is questionable. 
It is stated that the soil in the eariy 
days was exceptionally rich. It certain¬ 
ly looks very good near the settlement, 
and the splendid timber growing in the 
valleys would support the statement. 
Farming expenses would be high, however, 
as threshers and chaffcutters would have 
to remain on the island, and would not 
have full occupation. Vineyards were 
planted at one time, but the climate, 
though noted for its mildness, was not 
warm enough tor them. The annual rain¬ 
fall is rather heavier than the neigh¬ 
bouring mainland, and is about twenty-six 
inches. The soil should be well suiled 
for apples near Chinaman’s Bay, and pro¬ 
bably in other parts also. At present 
the timber industry would appear to be 
the main support of the population. The 
logs are certainly fine ones. So far as 
scenery is concerned, the island is well 
to the fore, and it is a matter for wonder 
that there are so few tourists. 
It will be seen that the geological work 
of the party Is incomplete, owing to the 
rough weather and short time available. 
The whole time spent in camp would be 
all too short, to enable one to properly 
examine the Fossil Cliffs alone. 
THE BIRDS OF MARIA ISLAND. 
(By Robert Ball, C.M.Z.S.) 
Maria Island, named in honour of 
Maria Van Diemen, is from one of the 
many Dutch names that would be better 
kept iu their native pronunciation. In 
the original it is softer and more pleas¬ 
ing. The navigator and naturalist, 
Baudni, in 1S02 (“Emu," vol. XI., pt. 4, 
1912), visited this charming portion 
oi Tasmania, and left in Paris a 
mention of the birds in which we, a 
century later, find a similar interest. In 
his day the duty of explorers was to 
make the first record of species; in ours 
it i- to correlate and gel life histories. 
The tacts come slowly by reason of the 
few workers. 
Baudin wrote of that graceful bird, the 
Australian black swan, and Sula, the 
Solan goose, so-called, but now the gniinet 
or booby, the most southern of its family. 
Baudin, as n maritime explorer, was al¬ 
ways keen upon what would suit his crew 
as food, and the swan was finest of all. 
“The cormorant and the albatross (cap¬ 
tured off Maria), although less good, are 
not for that reason to be disdained." 
He speaks of the "Goneland gris”! 
Does any reader know which bird is in¬ 
tended ? 
The list of birds observed on the field 
naturalists' trip is a fairly full one. It 
is representative of the Tasmanian air 
fauna. But where were the waders? Evi¬ 
dently they had left the island beaches 
while those of the migratory section had 
gone north on their way to" the Siberian 
nesting ground in the tundra. Many 
are, at the present time, spending some 
days in Corea, changing the winter plum¬ 
age—the plumage of our summer. 
The spine-tail swift, seen about two 
weeks before the camp, is journeying to¬ 
wards Manchuria. Either there or in 
X. 
