to the Aire River is the sand dunes which stretch along the coast, 
and of course cause an unproductive soil. On the beach fine 
sections of *dune limestone" appear, underlying the present sand 
dunes, and only visible where beach action has cut away portions 
of those earlier dunes, which in the lapse of time have become 
consolidated into this hard rock. A few years ago a rather fierce 
controversy took place concerning this rock, the contention of 
some being that it was of submarine origin. In Tenison-Wood’s 
“eological Observations in South Australia” this view was 
advocated; but from a study of the strata in South-Western 
Victoria I was convinced that a mistake had been made, its 
derivation from the sand dunes being easily demonstrated, and I 
therefore gave the name of “dune limestone" to the formation. 
(Notes on *'Post-Tertiary Rocks in S. W. Victoria”—Roy. Soc. 
of Vict, 1886.) My erities have now, I believe, admitted the 
correctness of this reading, especially as Mr Wood in an article 
published in Sydney also assigned an afolian origin to the rocks. 
His article was written in 1883, but neither my critics nor myself 
were aware at the time that a recantation had been made. The 
characteristic feature of the rock is its constantly varying dip, 
which could scarcely have been produced by any other agency than 
wind aeting upon loose heaps of sand. To study it properly, and 
to observe its gradual formation from the sand dunes, a visit should 
be paid to the region lying between Portland and Port McDonnell. 
Beneath the “dune limestone" Meozoic rocks appear in 
several places on the beach between Castle Cove and Cape Otway, 
proving pretty conclusively that they are continuous from the inland 
| ranges down to the coast, though for some miles hidden from view 
|" by more recent geological formations. In the vicinity of Cape 
| Otway Eocene rocks intervene between the “dune limestone” and 
203 
THE GEELONG NATURALIST. X 
The most noticeable feature of the country from Cape Otway 
| 
the MeXozoic rocks—the three different strata, Mekozoic, Tertiary 
| and Recent, being in one section all visible on the cliffs. 
| On the cliffs near the Sentinel Rocks we found three species of 
Oharopa living; while, as dead shells, Rhytida exoptanda and Hadra 
| Victorie were abundant at Point Flinders. In one gully we observed 
yf Parkphanta atramentaria, a beautiful shell which can be collected in 
profusion throughout the Cape Otway Ranges. 
| On the road to the Cape a large native bear ran up the short 
trunk of a charred gum tree at our approach, evidently considering 
himself safe, though we could have knocked him down easily with a 
stick if we had felt so inclined. 
Most reluetantly we had to turn our faces homewards on the 
| Wednesday, paying, however, another visit to the fossils on the road. 
| A day was spent at Apollo Bay to recruit and to explore one of the 
| beautiful .fern-tree gullies close at hand. ‘The next morning we 
departed for Melbourne after a trip which, though all too brief, will 
serve as a pleasing remembrance for many a day. 
