38 ON THE FOSSIL FLORA OF THE COAL DEPOSITS OF AUSTRALIA, 



than were contained in his lists. He states that his observations 

 were founded on a collection forwarded to him in 1876 by the late 

 Rev, W. B. Clarke, F.R.S., and on another smaller collection sent 

 in 1878 by the same gentleman, and on several specimens sent to 

 him by Mr. C. S. Wilkinson, F.G.S., government geologist of New 

 South Wales. These picked specimens do not give a complete idea 

 of the flora, and it may be safely asserted that comparisons instituted 

 between one locality and another on small collections are more or 

 less fallacious. Since the publication of the papers referred to I 

 have visited a great many of the coal bearing districts in Queens- 

 land, and have made extensive collections. I have found that 

 Dr. Feistmantel's list can now be largely extended. I refer to this 

 list in particular because it is the only one of the kind published 

 in English. It is simply a brief summary of a larger work published 

 in German entitled " Palaeozoische und niesozoische Flora des 

 ostlichen Australiens,"* and which is inaccessible to most English 

 readers. It is rarely met in the colony and is not yet in any of 

 our public libraries. In the course of this essay it will be seen 

 how largely I have availed myself of this most valuable work. 

 I propose now to go a little further into the subject, and place 

 within reach of Australian students, not only what relates to 

 Australian coal plants, but also a general view of their scientific 

 classification. At present there is no English modern work 

 which will take the place of Schimper's expensive volumes and 

 plates, and moreover to study the fossil flora of Australia 

 scientifically would require a large and costly library. It is to 

 be hoped that what I now publish will supply the want, while it 

 extends the knowledge of the flora. I shall commence with the 

 History or Literature. 



* Cassel 4to, published in two parts as portions of a serial work entitled 

 Paleontologische Bertrage of which Feistmantel's work forms Part III, 

 1878, with 18 plates, and Part IV, 1879, with 12 plates. The plates are 

 numbered 1 to 12 in the second part, with a second enumeration (connecting 

 the work with the first part) from 19 to 30. Reference is always made in 

 the essay to the second enumeration. Readers must be on their guard 

 about the typographical errors which are very numerous and not half 

 included in the errata. Dr. Feistmantel being in India was unable to correct 

 the press. 



