Nomenclature of Geological Age. 165 



of Southern India, Australia, South Africa, and South America, 

 the flora of the strata classed as Permian is very different from 

 that of the Permian of Europe, being largely composed of plants 

 of Mesozoic type." And again^ " In Southern India, Australia, 

 and South Africa, the Permian Beds present us with a still more 



striking facies The plants include a majority of forms 



such as Glossopteris and Phyllotheca, which, in Europe, occur 

 only in Mesozoic strata ; and these are sometimes associated with 

 forms like Sphenopteris and Callopteris, etc., of a Palaeozoic 

 aspect." Following this he refers to the Bacchus Marsh Beds, 

 Victoria, as Permian, the Newcastle Coal Measures in all 

 probability Permian, and a lower marine series and an upper 

 fresh-water series in Queensland as Permian. Now it may be 

 asked how far it is possible to reconcile the above expressions of 

 opinion. It seems to me that instead of the way having been 

 made clearer by the use of the composite term, it has been much 

 encumbered by conflicting and sometimes confusing views, 

 especially to students. 



The remarks of Professor David in his presidential address to 

 the Linnean Society of New South Wales in 1893- clearly show 

 some further difliculties that have to be contended with. I make 

 the following quotation : — "Unfortunately the expression Permo- 

 Carboniferous is used with two very different meanings by 

 Queensland and New South Wales geologists respectively. In 

 New South Wales the term Permo-Carboniferous is applied to a 

 group of rocks partly marine partly fresh-water, the fresh-water 

 beds being specially characterised by the prevalence of Glossop- 

 teris and Gangamopteris, while the marine beds contain a fauna 

 partly of Permian and partly of Carboniferous aflinities. This is 

 the equivalent of the Middle and Upper Bowen Series of Queens- 

 land, but in the latter colony an immense series of older beds is 

 included under the term Permo-Carboniferous, as for example 

 the Lower Bowen, the Star, and the Gympie series." 



Then we find Carbonifero-Devonian has been used by Professor 

 David for rocks in the Mount Lambie District of New South 

 Wales.^ 



1 Op. cit., p. 284. 



- Proc. Lin. Soc. N. S. Wales, vol. viii., n.s., p. 584. 



3 Loc. cit., p. 582. 



