274 REPORTS ON THE STATE OP SCIENCE.^1915. 



(B) Accordance. 

 At Seaham, in the valley of the "Williams River above Eaymond 

 Terrace in New South Wales, there appears to be a complete accord- 

 ance between the Aneimites beds and the Lochinvar beds of the Lower 

 Marine Permo-Carboniferous series. Mr. "W. N. Benson records a 

 similar accordance at Bm^indi in the New England district, New South 

 Wales. 



V. 



Remarks on the Hon. Secretary's Communication by Mr. Walter 

 HowcHiN, F.G.S., University of Adelaide. 



1. Where beds, in different localities, exhibit a close resemblance 

 in their lithological and faunal features, suggesting contemporaneity, 

 I think a common name is desirable. Local names, such as ' Bowen ' 

 and ' Gympie, ' could be used simply in a geographical sense subordinate 

 to some common term. (See under par. 3.) I should make an ex- 

 ception, however, where, in the same geological system, beds of strongly 

 contrasted features arising from differences of origin occur — as, for 

 example, in a series laid down under conditions of land ice. 



2. It seems desirable that a comprehensive name should be used 

 to indicate homotaxial affinities. The homotaxy may be, to some 

 extent, imperfect, as might be expected in the case of areas widely 

 separated — but the advantage of having a term that conveys the idea 

 of chronological position is very great, especially to students in other 

 countries. I prefer Permo-Carboniferous to Carbo-Permian, in that it 

 is already in common use. Whether ' Permo-Carboniferous ' or ' Per- 

 mian ' should be adopted must be determined, I think, on the palseon- 

 tological evidence. 



3. Where a geological system includes very distinct, and even con- 

 trasted, features in relation to the origin and modes of deposition of 

 its several members, it seems the proper thing to use separate terms 

 to distinguish the respective sections. It will be, of course, the type 

 district that supplies the name in each case. Thus, in the Permo- 

 Carboniferous (or Permian) system of Australia we have two entirely 

 distinct sets of beds, a marine and lacustrine series, which has its 

 greatest development in New South Wales; and, in addition, a thick 

 series that has resulted from land glaciation in South Australia and 

 Victoria. These are so distinctive that, I think, they should be 

 separately recognised in the classification — for example, 



T, r\ I. j: i. r The Hunterian series. 



Permo-Carbomlerous system. <( 



•' I Ihe Inman series. 



Some of the members of the British Association who visited the 

 Permo-Carboniferous Glacial fields in South Australia suggested that 

 some distinctive name for these beds should be adopted in Australia, 

 as had been done in South Africa (Dwyka) and in India (Talchir). 

 Professor W. M. Davis also wrote to me to the same effect after he 



