280 REPORTS ON THE STATE OP SCIENCE. — 1915. 



in the Southern Hemisphere. Professor David's more detailed corre- 

 lation is, however, accepted apart from minor points. Carboniferous 

 types of fossils have been recorded from part of the Maitai series of 

 New Zealand. The Schizoneura beds of Bacchus Marsh apparently 

 range up into the Trias, and conformably down into the Gangamopteris 

 sandstones. It is questionable whether the term Permian in the original 

 correlation and Neo- and Palaeo-Permian in Professor David's corre- 

 lation are required. If we define the upper limit of the Permo-Carboni- 

 ferous series as limited by the occurrence of Glossopteris, most of the 

 rocks included in the Neo-Permian of Professor David's correlation are 

 Permo-Carboniferous. Professor Woolnough's additions to the corre- 

 lation are agreed to. Owing to wide geographical separation, as Pro- 

 fessor Woolnough claims, differences in the assemblage of fossils in 

 beds of the same age are to be expected, and the evidence of a climatic 

 revolution, such as a Glacial episode, probably provides a better basis 

 for correlation. "We require to be certain, however, that over a wide 

 area similar conditions as to height above sea-level and relations of land 

 and sea obtained, and that no slow progressive shift in the areas of 

 maximum glaciation occurred. We have not yet such complete 

 evidence. Where, however, as in some areas, the facts of palaeontology 

 and of climatic revolution are associated together, the probabilities of 

 the several occurrences in different areas being contemporaneous is 

 greatly increased. 



6. Conformable sequence in Victoria and South Africa. Other 

 areas, relations are not known. 



7. Conformable in south of South Africa, unconformable in north 

 part of South Africa and in parts of New South Wales. The relations 

 are unknown in Victoria, as the two series have not been observed in 

 contact. 



8. Permo-Carboniferous must be taken to include the whole of the 

 Permian, and its upper limit in the Southern Hemisphere is the upper 

 limit of the Glosxopteris flora. At Bacchus Marsh the sandstones with 

 Schizoneura and TfBniopterix sweeti (McCoy) sue?est a conformable 

 passage up into the Trias. This appears also to hold in South Africa, 

 in India, and in parts of New South Wales. In other parts of New 

 South Wales a slight discordance occurs. 



IX. 



S-ummary of Views of the Australian Members of Committee. By the 

 Hon. Secretary, Professor E. W. Ske.\ts. 



1. There is general agreement that a single name for all the Aus- 

 tralian Permo-Carboniferous rocks should be adopted while retaining 

 local names already in use, in a geographical sense. 



2 and 3. With respect to the questions as to whether the single 

 name should be general or local. Professor David gives reasons for the 

 retention of the term Permo-Carboniferous as the general name, while 

 claiming that if a single local name be adopted the term Hunterian should 

 be used on the grounds of prioritv and the complete development of the 

 series in that part of New South Wales. Mr. Howchin prefers the term 



