GLOSSOrTERIS. 55 



Distribution. — Permo- Carboniferous (Glossopteris flora) : — India, 

 in the Damuda division; JS T ew South "Wales, in the "Lower 

 Coal Measures," and Newcastle Series; Queensland, in the Bowen 

 River Coalfield ; Western Australia ; Tasmania, in the Mersey 

 River Coalfield, etc. ; Cape Colony, Natal, Transvaal, Orange River 

 Colony, Rhodesia (?), Portuguese East Africa. Triassic : — Tonquin. 



Fronds of Glossopteris Browniana from New South Wales. 



V. 7281. PI. II, Figs. 1 and 3. 



A slab of shale showing several well-preserved fronds, and 

 illustrating the great variety in size and shape exhibited by the 

 fronds belonging to this species. The fine frond figured on PI. IT, 

 Fig. 1 measures 14 cm. in length, and 3 - 8 cm. across at its widest 

 part. The midrib is distinct, and extends to the bluntly pointed 

 apex. The lateral nervation is very clear. The meshes are rather 

 narrower, and more elongate than in many examples of this 

 species. The obliquity of the nerves varies greatly in different 

 parts of the frond. The angle of divergence of the lateral nerves 

 from the midrib is acute near the apex, and more oblique near 

 the base. The nerves arch near their point of origin. 



Several other, smaller, and narrower fronds occur on the same 

 specimen, probably all belonging to the same species. PI. II, Fig. 3 

 shows a basal portion of a frond, tapering gradually towards the 

 point of attachment. The midrib is thick, the meshes are large 

 and broad, and the lateral nervation is very oblique. This 

 specimen recalls somewhat that figured by Dana as G. elongata, 

 which is probably only a basal portion of a frond of G. Browniana. 

 Other and narrower fronds, corresponding with McCoy's G. linearis, 

 are found on the same specimen, and are here included under the 

 G. Browniana. 



Old Lambton, Newcastle. 



41,175. PI. II, Fig. 2. Figured by Morris (45), pi. vi, figs. 1, la. 



The frond figured by Morris, which is not refigured here, is the 

 nearly perfect of several fine fronds of G. Browniana shown on this 

 specimen. It is a spathulate leaf, the meshes of which are rather 

 narrower than in many other examples of this species. Among 

 the fronds on the same specimen there occurs one (PI. II, Fig. 2) 



