[0 
T. THE GEELONG NATURALIST. 
For the sake of comparison, the distribution of the Shel- 
ford fossils in other localities is given. It will be seen that 
the Muddy Creek, Gellibrand, and Mornington beds contain 
practically the same fossils : the Moorabool-Valley section has 
not been quoted because there would, I think, have been 
almost identity of fossil contents. The Spring Creek ‘and 
Curlewis, Belmont sections, show some divergence, but they 
may be regarded as separate colonies, in which the life, 
though probably contemporaneous or almost so, with that of 
the others mentioned, shows distinct peculiarities. It is in- 
teresting to note that in the fauna of the Cape Otway beds 
midway between Spring Creek and Gellibrand, the distinction 
between these two colonies is to a certain extent bridged over. 
In estimating the age of these and other tértiary beds, 
Lyell’s method is adopted, and the terms Eocene, Miocene, 
Pliocene are applied according to the percentage of recent 
species represented. The Shelford beds, like those at Gelli- 
brand, Muddy Creek, &c., contain only one and a half per 
cent. of recent species, and must therefore be assigned to the 
Eocene division. ; (18b: att 
. It has been recently asserted by Professor Sir Frederick 
McCoy that the percentage ofrecent shells in our lowest tertiary 
is too high for Eocene, and that this term should give place to 
Oligocene. E hir Drs D DRU 
I can only say that the shells have been collected in pro” 
fusion from every known deposit in Australia and Tasmania, 
and have been named, described, and figured by the highest 
authorities: they havethen been re-examined and critically 
compared with existing species by experts, with the result 
that the percentage as given cannot be altered. The full 
evidence on which our oldest tertiary deposits are called 
Eocene is given elsewhere, and need not be repeated here.* 
In concluding this brief account of the Shelford beds, I 
may add that they havenot yet been extensively worked, and I 
would urge upon the members of the Club the desirability of 
a systematic search for new species. It may be 'safely 
affirmed that not only there, but in any of our Eocene out- 
cropseevery visit paid is likely to be rewarded by the discovery 
of fossil forms new to science. — 2 
In addition to acknowledgments already made, I have 
to thank Mr. D. Clark, Mr. J. F. Mulder and Mr. E. Swan for 
collections of shells. The Foraminifera have been kindly 
identified for me by Mr. E. J. Bradley, of Adelaide. Like the 
mollusea, they indicate an undoubted Eocene horizon for the 
Shelford ‘beds. ; i . 
* Correlation of Marine Tertiaries of Australia Royal Society, South Australia, 1893. 
