BY PROFESSOR W. J. STEPHENS, M.A., F.G.S. 1115 



and Wianamatta, Ottefia prozterita, a large water plant with 

 fenestrated leaves from the Parramatta River, Unionidse, a huge 

 Planorbis (?) tfcc, &c, which seem to indicate a much later period, 

 together with Paloeoniscus and Ghithrolepis in the Wianamatta, 

 or uppermost beds of the series. (Note 2). The presence of 

 Macrotamiopteris is certainly in favour of the Jurassic age of the 

 Wianamatta, but that of Palceoniscus would seem to out-weigh it 

 in favour of the Triassic. 



The evidence, however, taken all together, formed a strong 

 ground for this hypothetical arrangement, which is now almost 

 established by the discovery, in the middle of the formation, of 

 the Labyrinthodont fossil figured in Plate XIV. 



It is plain, from what has beeii stated, that if the Newcastle 

 beds are Permian, the Hawkesbury are probably Triassic. But 

 we cannot check this conclusion by an examination of the over- 

 lying beds. For at least on this side of the main range, neither 

 the supposed Permian, nor the supposed Triassic, i.e., neither the 

 upper coal measures nor the Hawkesbury and Wianamatta have 

 ever been subject to submergence or marine erosion, except 

 exactly along the line which from time to time has formed the 

 eastern coast of the continent. But they have undergone 

 enormous sub-aerial denudation, the records of which may — to 

 some extent — be read in the gorges of the Blue Mountains. It 

 may be that the Clarence River beds are Jurassic, yet since they 

 are entirely of fresh-water origin, it is difficult, with our present 

 scanty knowledge, to correlate them with certainty. The 

 cretaceous formation north of the Darling is the first, after the 

 upper marine (Upper Carboniferous) beds, to offer the much desired 

 evidence which a marine fauna alone can supply. 



In Mr. Miall's report upon the Labyrinthodonts, (British Asso- 

 ciation, 1S73), we have genera recorded from the Trias in the 

 northern hemisphere as follows : — Europe, Capitosaurus, Chalio- 

 saurus, Diadetognathus, Labyrinthodon, Mastodonsaurus, Melo- 

 saurus, Metopias, Trematosaurus, Xestorrhytias ; Central India — 

 Bracliyops, Gonioglyptxis, Pachygonia ; South Africa — Micropholis; 

 Australia — Bothriceps. The Triassic forms in the New World all 



