250 DISTRIBUTION OF GLOSSOPTERIS, 



from which forms of Glossopteris, Zamites, and Rhacophylhim have 

 been obtained." There is no reference, however, to the occurrence 

 of Glossopteris in the fossil flora of New Zealand in Baron von 

 Ettingshausen's masterly paper — " Contributions to the knowledge 

 of the Fossil Flora of New Zealand."*' 



Writing to one of us on Feb. 26th of this year Captain 

 Hutton states — " I still think that Glossopteris has not been found 

 in New Zealand. We have no Palajozoic flora." The earliest 

 statement as to the occurrence of a plant, alleged to be Glossojyteris, 

 in New Zealand is contained in Reports of Geological Explorations, 

 New Zealand, 1868-1869, p. iii. 



In Tasmania Glossopteris occurs in marine strata of Permo- 

 Carboniferous age south of Hobart at Adventure Bay, South 

 Bruni, where in company with Gangamopteris it is associated with 

 a seam of coal, two feet in thickness. "j" 



In the Mersey Coal-field, near Latrobe, Glossopteris is met with 

 in abundance in the shaly-bedsof the thin productive Coal-measures, 

 which are there capped by marine strata of Pernio- Carboniferous 

 age. It is associated with Gangamopteris and with leaves of 

 Noggerathiopsis. 



At the above localities the age of Glossopteris in Tasmania is 

 undoubtedly Palaeozoic. According to the following statements, 

 however, Glossopteris possibly ascends into Mesozoic strata in that 

 island. In 1874 the late R. B. Smyth published a notej to the 

 effect that he had discovered at Spring Hill, near Hobart, a leaf 

 of Glossopteris hrowniana associated on the same piece of shale 

 with the characteristic Mesozoic fern, Alethopteris australis, "from 

 the south-eastern part of Tasmania," and thus from the Upper or 

 Mesozoic Coal-measures. This plant has never been figured to the 

 best of our knowledge,, and the strange association remained 

 unconfirmed until Mr. R. M. Johnston described another fern 



i Trans. N. Zealand Inst. 1891, xxiii. p. 42. 

 § R. M. Johnston. Geology of Tasmania, p. 143 (Govt. Printer, Hobart, 

 1888). 



* Second Geol. Survey Vict. , Progress Report i. 1874, p. 24. 



