148 ON THE OCCURREXCK OP OrrOZAMITES IN AUSlTtALIA, 



The specimens described in the present communicatiou were obtained by Dr. 

 Woolnough and Mr. J. L. Somerville, B.Sc, from a spot about three miles north 

 of Miu^enew Railway Station and at a height of about 125 feet above the station 

 which IS 502 feet above sea level. The collection is largely due to the enthusiasm 

 of Mr. G. Wells, a local resident, through whom the specimens were obtained. 

 They were found in a ferruginous sandstone lying almost horizontally and little 

 is known about the stratigraphical relations. There are at least 70 feet of sand- 

 stone below the plant-bearing bed. In association with these sandstones there 

 are marine beds of Jurassic Age, but there is doubt as to whether the marine 

 beds are below or above the plant-bearing sandstones. 



For the available information regarding the held occurrence 1 am indebted to 

 Dr. Woolnough and Mr. Somerville, and I would express my thanks especially 

 to Dr. Woolnough for the opportunity of examining the collection. 



Three species of Utozamites have been recognised, viz.: — 0. Bechei, O. 

 Feistmanteli and 0. bengaletisis. In addition there are also coniferous frag- 

 ments (? Pagiophyllum sp. and ? Elatocladus sp.), a doubtful cone, and inde- 

 terminate fragments of fossil wood. 



Otozamites Bechei Brongniart. (PI. x., tigs. 3, 4). 



1825 b'iUoites Bechli, Brongniart, Ann. Sci. Nat., iv., PI. xix., tig. 4 — 

 1834 Otopteris obiusa, Lindley and Hutton, The Fossil Flora of Great Britain, 

 PI. cxxviii. — 1849 Utozamites ubtusxis, Brongniart, Tableau, p. 104. — 1900 Otu- 

 zamites obtusus, var. ooliticvs, Seward, The Jura-ssic Flora (Cat. Brit. Mus.), 

 p. 218, PI. i., fig. 1; PI. ii., fig. 2. — 1917 Otozamites obtusus, Walkom, Q'land. 

 Geol. Surv., Pub. 259, p. 21, PI. 8, fig. 1. 



This specific name is used broadly to include numerous Cycadean fronds 

 which have generally been described as Otozamites obtusus, which name, as 

 Seward (1917, p. 540) has pointed out, must give way to 0. Bechei. 



"Frond pinnate; pinnae usually more or less falcate, occasionally straight 

 and with parallel sides, attached obliquely to the upper side of the rachis; 

 imbricate or separate, the upper edge of the base of the lamina strongly auricu- 

 late, the lower edge rounded; apex obtuse; veins strongly divergent especially 

 in the lobed base and extending oblifjuely to the upper and lower edge of the 

 lamina." 



The specimens under examination agree well with the description and figures 

 of this species. The fronds arc about 4.5 cm. wide, with pinnae 2.5 cm. long 

 and 7 — 8mm. wide. The pinnae in general make an angle of 65—70° with the 

 raehis. The fronds are elongate lanceolate and would appear to be at least 

 20 cm. in length. The veins are divergent and numerous; there arc about 12 at 

 the base of the pinna, while further out, after they divide, there are about 15 in 

 a breadth of 5 mm. 



The same species has been described from Beaudesert, in Queensland (Wal- 

 kom, 1917, p. 21). 



Otozamites Feistmanteli Zigno. (PI. x., tvj;. 7). 



1881 Otozamites Feistmanteli, Zigno, Flora Foss. Oolit., Vol. 2, p. 90, t. 

 34, f. 6 — 8.^ — 1883 Otozamites Mandeslohi, Tcnison-Woods, Proc. Linn. Soc. 

 N.S.W., viii., p. 151. — 1890 Otozamites Mandelslohi, Feistmantel, Mem. Geol. 

 Surv. N.S.W., Pal. 3, p. 147, t. 28, f. 9, 9a.— 1892 Otozamites Mandelslohi, 

 Etheridge .Jr., Geol. Pal. Q'land., p. 381. — 1910 Otozamites Feistmanteli, Arber, 

 Geol. Surv. W..\., \^u\\. 36, p. 25.- — 1917 Otozamites Feistmanteli, Walkom, 

 Q'land. Geol. Surv., Pub. 259, p. 23, t. 8, f. 2, 3. 



