238 BRAZILIAN EQUIVALENTS 



Upon the Orleans conglomerate lie the Bio Bonito beds, 

 which are the productive coal measures of the district. 

 They contain many fossil plants found also in the Ecca 

 and Beaufort beds of South Africa, including the follow- 

 ing genera, Phyllotheca, Glossopteris, Vertebraria, Ganga- 

 mopteris, Gardiocarpus, Cordaites, Schizoneura, Sigillaria, 

 Lepidodendron. The Iraty shales are black, and seem to 

 be similar in character to the black shales of the Upper 

 Dwyka, and they also contain Mesosaurus ; Stereosternum 

 is found on the same horizon farther north. It is in- 

 teresting to note that in Brazil Mesosaurus occurs 

 above the beds containing the Glossopteris flora, and 

 not below them as in South Africa. The reptilian 

 fauna of the Beaufort beds is scarcely represented in 

 Brazil, though as the Sta. Catharine system covers a 

 very large area (probably even larger than that of the 

 Karroo beds), and has only been partially examined, 

 more typical genera may yet be discovered. An uncon- 

 formity is possibly present at the top of the Passa Dois 

 series, however. The Scaphionyx from the Kio do Kasto 

 beds is allied to Erythrosuchus from the Upper Beaufort 

 beds. As in South Africa, there is a thick group of 

 volcanic rocks of basic and intermediate composition at 

 the top of the system. 



Dr. David White regards the flora of the Rio Bonito 

 beds as belonging to the Permian, and places the Orleans 

 beds in that system also, but cannot lay down the limit 

 between Permian and Trias in South Brazil. 



In the Argentine the Bajo de Velis beds contain 

 Gangamopteris, Neuropteridium and Cordaites, while these 

 also occur, together with Phyllotheca and Glossopteris, in 



