I'RESIDEXTIAL ADDRESS SECTION I'.. 35 



Further evidence was apparent in the discovery of remark- 

 able boulder de])osits at the base of these sediments in Australia 

 and India, now known to be the result of glaciation. This was 

 confirmation rather by reason of similar conditions of deposition, 

 but the idea that they originated in a common continental mass 

 also took root, and " helped materially in the correlation of the 

 rocks " of the two provinces. 



It was, however, some years before the actual horizon of 

 Clossof^fcris-heanng beds could be correctly placed in the 

 geological record. The remarkable difference to the plants of 

 the north led to the belief that this flora was of a later period 

 of development, and leading investigators assigned to it an age 

 as late as Jurassic. But by a study of the fossils of a marine 

 incursion into the Aluree series in New South Wales ( com- 

 parable with our Dwyka jjeriod), and the recognition liy means 

 r>i its carboniferous mollusca, some early GIossoptcris-csLrrying 

 beds were placed as Carboniferous. In India, also, marine beds 

 of Permian and Upper Carboniferous age overlie the basal 

 boulder beds. 



The Glossopfcris flora has thus been assigned to the Permo- 

 Carboniferous period — a correlation borne out by its mollusca, 

 Crustacea, fish and other fossil remains. 



Meanwhile South African geologists were at work, and 

 Rubidge in i^S9 ^''""^ discovered specimens of the same flora 

 at Bloemkop. which he compared with those occurring in India. 

 Discoveries of other species followed which were identified by 

 such noted botanists as Tate, Griesbach, Zeiller and Feismantel. 

 Correlation was thus established with the systems of the Intlian 

 and Australian, and recognised by Stow, our distinguished 

 geologist, who wrote in 1871 a paper " On the Probable Exis- 

 tence of an Ancient Southern Continent." 



.As in India and Australia, South Africa has deposits at the 

 base of its Karroo that occur in a very similar position with 

 regard to the (rlossoptcris-hea.\'mg beds, and a recognition of the 

 glacial origin of the Dwyka Conglomerate is further evidence 

 of the widespread land conditions found in the three continents. 



Discoveries of areas of rocks of the Karroo system, with 

 fossils peculiar to that age (found by Penning, 1884, and other 

 evidence due to ^Ir. Leslie's keenness and Mr. Seward's 

 identification), led to the inclusion of the Transvaal, Rhodesia 

 in 1903, Tete on the Zambesi (described by Zeiller in 1883, who 

 also drew attention to the northern type existing in this locality), 

 and German East Africa and the Portuguese Provinces. 

 jVIessrs. i\ndrew and r>ailey give evidence that causes the inclu- 

 sion of Nyassaland. 



From Brazil and the Argentine specimens were obtained 

 that led to the inclusion of a portion of South America as a 

 province of the ancient continent. In. 1891 Hettner announced 

 the discovery of representatives of the Glossoptcris flora, and 



