256 DISTRIBUTION OF GLOSSOPTERIS, 



faint anastomosis of the veins in the lower portion, from the 

 Russian Klinische Sandstone of Cretaceous age. This leaf 

 Trsiutschold terms Glossopteris solitaria; and again, a leaf figured 

 by Visiani and Massolongo, from the Tertiary beds of Novale, in 

 Italy, which Feistraantel says, if correctly figured, cannot be a 

 Glossopteris. The above Authors name this plant G. apocyno- 

 phyllum. On the other hand, Schenk states that no form of 

 Glossopteris is found in Europe.* 



Glossopteris has not yet been recorded from South Australia, 

 including the Northern Territory. In South Australia no rocks of 

 Permo-Carboniferous age have as yet been identified. In 

 Western Australia, however, Permo-Carboniferous rocks have 

 been proved to exist at the Irwin River, from which locality 

 several marine fossils have been enumerated by one of us.f 



Quite recently Mr. B. H. Woodward, Curator of the Geological 

 Museum at Perth, has forwarded a named collection of fossils 

 from the Gascoyne River to the Geological Survey of New South 

 Wales. Amongst these are two pieces of dark shale displaying 

 perfectly distinct leaves of G. hrovmiana. We believe that this 

 is the first recorded instance of the occurrence of Glossopteris in 

 that Colony. I 



Our present knowledge of the geographical distribution and 

 geological range of Glossopteris in Australasia may be briefly 

 summarised as follows : — It is extremely doubtful whether 

 Glossopteris ever existed in New Zealand. In Eastern Australia 

 during the Permo-Carboniferous Period Glossopteris having a form 

 resembling that of a dwarf tree fern flourished abundantly in the 

 great swamps of the coast and portion of the inland areas of 



*Zittel's Pal(jontologie (Fr. trans.), Pt. II., Pal(5ophytologie, Pt. I, 1891, 

 p. 130. 



+ R. Etherirlge, Junr., Ann. Rept. Dept. Mines, N. S. Wales, for 1889 

 [1890], p. 239. 



X We find, however, that in the "Western Australian Year Book" for 

 1892-93, p. 241 (8vo. Perth, 1893), it is stated that Mr. R. Etheridge, 

 F.R S., detected "portions of Glossopteris or Nceggerathia in coal, sub- 

 mitted to him from the Collie River Coal-field, W.A." 



