PEEFACE. 



The Catalogue of Australian Fossils was commenced in 1868 

 in conjunction with my friend and former colleague Mr Norman 

 Taylor, merely with the view of carrying out our duties in 

 connection with the Geological Survey of Victoria, but cir- 

 cumstances over which we had no control rendered the 

 abandonment of the work necessary. It was not again re- 

 sumed until 1871, then by myself, and through the interest 

 evinced by several scientific friends I have been induced to 

 continue the compilation, during leisure moments, until it 

 has assumed its present proportions. 



The subject of Australian Geology and Palaeontology is even 

 now only in its infancy, notwithstanding the rapid strides which 

 have been made within the last few years. It naturally results 

 therefore, that although the number of species to be listed 

 may be small when compared with those of other countries, 

 still, often from the absence of definite information, the com- 

 pilation has been attended with no ordinary difiiculties. This 

 will, I hope, to some extent tend to explain the many imper- 

 fections to be found in the ' Catalogue,' and of which no one 

 is more conscious than I am. The present is, so far as 

 I know, the first attempt at a complete list of Australian fossil 

 Organic Remains, and notwithstanding the daily increasing 

 number of species to be still more largely augmented in the 

 future, I trust that the present effort will be found a tolerably 

 faithful record of Australian Palaeontology up to the year 1878. 



I have endeavoured to make the Catalogue as complete 

 as circumstances will permit, but there are a few papers by 

 colonial authors to which I have not been able to obtain 

 access, and in consequence the data contained in them have 

 been omitted, or imperfectly given. 



In the great field of Australian Geology and Palaeontology 

 I can lay claim to no greater title than that of a compiler, 

 but as such, I would offer my tribute of respect and admiration 



