president's address. 647 



Bournemouth in England branchlets and scales have been dis- 

 covered which are scarcely distinguishable from those of our 

 species abovenamed. Fossil remains of the genus have been 

 found in Europe, North America, China, the extreme south of 

 South America, Tasmania, E. Australia, and even the Island of 

 Kerguelen. Living species occur in North-east Australia and 

 adjacent islands, Chili and Peru. 



The genus Dammar a, the best known example of which is the 

 New Zealand Kauri, now exists in Queensland, New Zealand, 

 Borneo, Celebes and the Philippines. Remains obtained from 

 the Cretaceous rocks of Greenland have been referred to this 

 genus, but the identification is somewhat uncertain. 



Araucaria is not typical of any country; and the same may be 

 said of that other ancient group the Cycadecu, which have had a 

 world-wide distribution. It is necessary to draw attention to 

 this, as the fact of their existence in certain strata in the northern 

 hemisphere has assisted in the drawing of false comparisons 

 between the tertiary vegetation and climate of Southern England 

 and those of Australia of the present day. 



The first undoubted appearance of Dicotyledons in Europe is 

 in the Upper Cretaceous Beds, and there they are found in large 

 numbers, as if an invasion of those forms after collecting strength 

 elsewhere had just taken place. 



The oldest examples of dicotyledonous plant remains in Australia 

 hitherto brought to light are some obtained by Mr. H. C. Stokes 

 about three years ago in some railway cuttings near Brisbane. 

 These fossils were sent by Mr. Etheridge to Baron Ettingshausen, 

 who pronounced them to be of Upper Cretaceous age from a con- 

 sideration of their character which resembled European specimens 

 from strata of that age. Mr. Etheridge informs me, however, that 

 the beds in question are considered by Mr. B. L. Jack, Govern- 

 ment Geologist of Queensland, to form part of the Ipswich Coal 

 Measures, and as such are of Early or Middle Mesozoic age.^ 



The whole of the facts having reference to the distribution of 

 plants and animals in the southern hemisphere seem to point to 



* Geol. & Pal. of Queensland and New Guinea, p. 597. 

 R R 



