BY THE REV. J. E. TENISON-WOODS, F.G.S., F.L.S. 57 



other species. Finally there is a conifer named Brachyphyllum 

 australe found at Bowenfels, with Glossopteris browniana. The 

 genus is niesozoic, but this species differs in important particulars 

 from the niesozoic form. 



So the question narrows itself into the occurrence of Glossopteris 

 browniana. It is found in India in the Lias and Jurassic beds, 

 but only one instance has been related of its occurrence in the 

 Jurassic in Australia. That is Mr. Brough Smyth's instance from 

 Jerusalem in Tasmania. On the other hand we have a well 

 marked Oolitic flora in the beds just named in Ipswich, 

 Queensland, and in many places in Victoria. The fossils of 

 this formation, such as Thinnfeldia, Alethopteris, Tamiopteris, 

 Equisetum and Podozamites are never found in any of the Newcastle 

 series. There is no confusion of type whatever between the two 

 formations except in the case of Gl. broivniana. We may explain 

 this by supposing one of the two things. 1. The persistence of 

 this type through a very long period of time in Australia, where 

 we have the traces of its earliest existence, and finally dying out 

 in India. 2. Or we may suppose that the coal of Australia 

 represents an accumulation during a vast unbroken period, 

 beginning in the Permian and terminating in the Jurassic epoch. 

 If this has been the case, there are wanting many leaves of the 

 history. The break is very nearly complete between our Trias and 

 Jurassic. 



Dr. Feistmantel, whose experience among the coal plants of 

 Europe, India, and Australia is very great, is inclined to regard 

 our upper Newcastle beds as Trias. The marine fossils beneath 

 them are more Carboniferous than Permian, and though the coal 

 plants are evidently different, they are not like the Carboniferous. 

 It is hard to account for this anomaly. In the present clay, the 

 Australian Flora is several epochs behind Europe ; then it must 

 have a little in advance. 



The eastern side of Australia from north to south is very rich 

 in coal, and, what is unusual, the Jurassic beds produce abundance 

 of good fuel in compact workable seams. The resources in this 



