Volume 1

Three expeditions into the interior of Eastern Australia, with descriptions of the recently explored region of Australia Felix, and of the present colony of New South Wales / By Major T. L. Mitchell.

  • Mitchell, T. L. (Thomas Livingstone), 1792-1855.
Date:
1838
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Three expeditions into the interior of Eastern Australia, with descriptions of the recently explored region of Australia Felix, and of the present colony of New South Wales / By Major T. L. Mitchell. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    shell occLirring also in old mountain limestones in England.^ Amongst these was also found embedded a very perfect specimen of fossil wood. I may add here, that in the bed of the Glindon Brook which flows from the left bank of the Hunter, rocks of argillaceous limestone are found in large round boulders, sonie of which are more than 1-5 feet in diameter. Nov. 29.—The whole equipment came up at half-past nine, whereupon I distributed such articles as were neces¬ sary to complete the organization of the party, and the day was passed in making various arrangements for the better regulation of our proceedings, both on encamping and in travelling. I obtained from Assistant-Surveyor Dixon, now employed in this neighbourhood, some account of Liver¬ pool Plains—this oflicer having surveyed the ranges which separate these interior regions from the appropriated lands of the colony. The heat of this day was exceedingly oppres- * These shells having been submitted to Mr. James D. Sowerby, I am in¬ debted to that gentleman for the following description. Class, Conchifera—Order, Dhnyaria. Genus, Megadesmus. Valves equal, inequilateral, thick, their edges even; umbones nearly central; hinge sunk, with an antiquated area and one? or two? large teeth in each valve; ligament external, large ; impressions of the ahducter muscles strong, nearly equal, united by the impression of the mantle, at the posterior extremity of which is a small shallow sinus; no lunette. A genus of heavy shells in some respects resembling Astarte^ in others especially in having a striated area within the beaks, Hippopodiuvi, from Avhich it is distinguished by the position of the umbones and the presence of a thick tooth in the hinge. There appear to be four species, which may be named Megadesmus glohosa, (PI. I.) M. Icevis (fig 1. PI. II.) M. antiquata (fig. 2. PI. II.) and M. cuneata (fig. 3.PI. II.) the cuneata differs from anti- quata^ only in having the shell a little contracted towards the anterior side. The large shell (PI. III. fig. I and 2.) is near to Isocardla, but Mr. S. would not venture to say that it is of that genus. The Trochus {V\. III. fig. 3 and 4.) maybe called T. Oculus. t The fossil vegetation seems to consist chiefly of the Glossopteris Brownii, a fern which occurs in a stratum of ironstone at Newcastle, and in one of the same mineral on the southern coast, also in sandstone in the valley of the Hunter, and abundantly in the shale near the coal wTought at Newcastle.