Feb., 1911.] Literature on Geology of South America. 281 



is the Barro Branco bed, mueh higher in the foniiation. It also 

 consists of seams of coal separated by thin layers of shale. 



The Palermo shales lie conformably (?) on the Rio Bonito 

 beds and are made up of soft gray and red shales. 



Since the Permian is thought to be conformable, or essentially 

 so, on the Carboniferous, the shales, limestones and cherts of the 

 Passa Dois series may be considered here. 



The Iraty black shale, which is a widely persistent formation, 

 is distinguished by its Reptilian remains and by the ever present 

 odor of petroletmi. It contains nearly 20% of volatile matter and 

 9% of carbon. 



The Estrado Nova beds consist of gray and variegated shales 

 with some sandstones. 



The Rocinha limestone is the top of the Pemiian and forms a 

 persistent dividing line between it and the Triassic. 



In northwestern Argentine there is a series of sandstones and 

 shales with some coal which are at least in part Carboniferous. 

 They lie unconfomiably on the older Paleozoic rocks (Devonian?) 

 and are overlain confonnably by the Triassic as in southern 

 Brazil The Glossopteris flora also occurs herc.-''^ 



Rocks of (Upper and Lower) Carboniferous age are found in 

 Bolivia in the vicinity of La Paz and north of Lake Titicaca. The 

 system is made up of red sandstones, red and green shales, and 

 some limestone. Some layers have a rich fauna which was at 

 least locally of marine Pennsylvanian age.'''^ The brown and red 

 sandstones and conglomerates belonging to the Permian of Peru 

 carry a considerable amount of copper which is thought to have 

 been an original deposit. Salt and gypsum beds are also abundant.-'"' 



Strata carrying the Glossopteris flora occur in the Falkland 

 Islands. 



MESOZOIC. 



Triassic and Jurassic. The Permian, Triassic and Jurassic of 

 South America are. very closely related and sometimes inseparable. 

 Most of the continent was above sea-level throughout these 

 periods, but probable land formations of this age are known at 

 several localities in Brazil, while marine Triassic and Jurassic 

 occur in the Cordilleras between 5° and 35° south latitude.'''" 



In southern Brazil where the Triassic comes in contact with 

 the Permian, the fomier consists of massive red sandstones which 

 rest unconformably on the Rochina limestone (Permian) but the 

 extent of this unconformitv is unknown. 



34. Kayser, E., loc. cit., p. 306. 



35. Forbes, David, Quart. Jour. Geol. Soc. London, VoL XVII, 1860, 

 pp. 48-51. 



36. Forbes, David, loc. cit. pp. 38-45. 



37. Steinman, Gustav, Am. Nat., Vol. 25, 1891. p. 857. 



